The Dark Knight : Rebirth
by Zorrod
Summary: The third mate of the Roger pirates , The Dark Knight. They say he found the source of happiness, the fountain of youth, and the first weapon ever created, Ultima. However, he disappeared without a trace. Now, 20 years later, he has risen again! Meet Raneus D Neel , and watch as he finds out who he is. However, somethings were never meant to be learnt by humanity.. RobinxOc LxN
1. Rebirth

**HEY GUYS! Its been so long since I updated the Dark Knight, and there is a reason for that. I have decided to redo the story and change a few things. There were to many problems with the first one, so that's why I decided this! Be prepared for epicness!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece.**

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_Did you ever hear about the Dark Knight? He was the pirate who walked in the darkness, but bathed in the light._

_ - Tales of the Dark Knight_

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_**Enter! The Dark Knight, Raneus D. Neel**_

Even before he got trapped on a pirate ship to hell, he was having a bad day.

He woke up in a secluded part of a forest, wondering who he was, what he was, what he was doing there. He sat up in the brightly colored flower field, clutching his head. He got up and started walking around, pacing back and forth. He tried to recollect what he was doing, but to no avail. Although, he remembered a name.

_Raneus D. Neel_.

He decided that it must be his name. Upon further inspection of his clothes, he found it, written faintly in black ink on his gauntlet. _Wait, Gauntlet?_ The Gauntlet was black and had imprints on it. He saw two buttons on the gauntlet, one in the middle of the palm, and one parallel to it on the other side. The buttons were labeled in gibberish, but somehow he knew they meant two words. The on his palm said "Light" and the one on his fist said "Dark". He pressed the "Dark" button. Suddenly, the gauntlet grew on his entire body. After about 5 seconds, his body was fully equipped with black armor. It was polished and made of something very light and hard. Instead of a helmet, like a usual knight, he had a mask that depicted an serious face.(See Cover, that's what it looks like). A flowing blood red cape was behind him. It had a symbol of an upside down sword, with a snake encircling it(Sort of like the symbol in medicine). He was astounded by his discovery. He pressed the button again. Within five seconds, the armor retracted back into the gauntlet, magically. It defied all physics! How could all of that fit in that gauntlet? He found a weapon stabbed into the ground next to him. It had a hilt of a revolver, with the barrel of a bullet case, but it was pointed like a sword at the end. It was steel gray, and well crafted. On its blade, it said "Ultima". Neel reached out to touch it , but it instantly turned black. He let go of it, and it turned back to normal. He stared at his reflection in the blade. He had sharp black eyes, a scar running diagonally across his nose. He had jet black hair that was short. He was wearing a robe with a depiction of a dragon coated with steel on the back. Under it was a white shirt. It strangely didn't wear him down a bit. He was wearing pointed black shoes and he had white pants that were covered by the cloak. His features were not that bad, considering he didn't know who he was. He heard a branch snap in the distance.

Some instinct of his made him quickly pull his "sword/gun/...whatever, he didn't know" out of the ground and raise it. He deflected a shot of some sort. He flew back a few feet. He looked at the ground to find an arrow sticking out of the ground. The ground around it was desecrated. Whoever found him must have some kind of monstrous power. The assailant appeared out of the trees, an arrow notched in her bow. Yeah, it was a her.

"Who are you, trespasser? You are standing on Amazon Lily, the isle of women." The girl said. She had lightly darkened blond hair and a brown polka dotted robe. Neel took note that he was on Amazon Lily, and the fact that it is forbidden for some people. He stopped himself for a second. His mind was processing so much information at once. He began to realize how he took note of how the girl spoke what she wore, and how she acted. She acted as if she was superior to him. He moved on. The Isle of Women... he deducted since he was a man, he wasn't allowed. He guessed the island was filled with women who abandoned men in exchange for something... She spoke as if she already knew what a man was, but it was like as if it was a rarity. He looked into her eyes and saw some kind of connection. He quickly came up with the solution that another man was on this isle. Could they be linked? There was only one way to find out...

" I don't know who I am, or what I am doing here. Is there another man on this island?" Neel asked, his voice deep. His voice was stern and serious. It was something you'd hear in a nightmare. The girl looked at him skeptically.

" How did you know there was another man? It doesn't matter, because we are taking you in anyways." The girl said. Neel had no choice but to surrender. He hoped that the leader of this island would listen to reason and let him go...

**An hour later...**

He was thrown into a cell with another man. They took his weapon, but they couldn't seem to get his gauntlet off of him. He did not resist them, for he wanted to talk with the man. Next to him, a man with a strawhat looked at him. Neel studied the strawhat for a second to long. Had he seen that somewhere...? Neel quietly whispered to him.

" Who are you?" Neel whispered. The man smiled at him widely.

" My name is Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet you! What's yours?" Luffy said. Luffy had a scar under his left eye and a blue vest.

"My name is Damascus Lloyd, I mean..." Neel said. _Wait, what? _Did he just lie on instinct to a man he just met? He quickly corrected himself. The man didn't seem bothered by it.

" So what are you doing here? How did you get here?" Neel asked. The man's smile melted. He told him how his pirate crew was separated by a man named Kuma. Luffy explained that he had the Paw-Paw fruit.

" Devil fruit? What's that?" Neel asked curiously. Luffy was startled for a second, but then laughed.

" How do you not know what a devil fruit is, when your this far in the grand line?" Luffy teased. Grand line? Neel recalled basic terms, like the parts of the ocean and the sea. Although, he had no knowledge of where he came from, or how he learned it.

"Wait, do you have a devil fruit?"Neel asked.

"Yeah, I'm a rubber man!" Luffy said, stretching his lips. Neel decided Luffy was someone he could trust. He could see the innocence in his eyes. They talked for about a minute until they were both hauled out into an arena. It was big and on the edge there was pit with spikes at the bottom. Neel immediately hated the ruler once he spotted her. He coiuld tell she was ruthless, despite her beauty. She said her name was Boa Hancock, a Warlord of the sea. After that, Neel tuned out the noise. His eyes darted everywhere around the arena, searching for an exit. Fortunately, the arena was in open air, so if he found some kind of trampoline or anything to lift him up... The crowd gasped in shock for some reason. Neel paid attention and turned around. He scowled at the statue of Maguerite and her friends. That was her name, according to Luffy anyways. She was nice to him, comparing from the other women. Hancock had the Love-Love fruit which could turn people into stone.

"You, what is your name? You seem lost and your not even paying attention." Hancock pointed at Neel. Neel didn't speak back, but instead rose defiantly.

" Oh, so you wish to be tested? If you don't win, your friends will be turned to rubble and so will this man." She said, pointing at Luffy. Neel refused to endanger Luffy's life just because he was angry. He sat back down, but was forced up again by the Kuja members. Hancock grabbed Neel's weapon from the stash , they had collected from him. She studied it closely. Hancock had never seen a device this complex. It seemed unusable. Plus , on the blade there was gibberish on it. Suddenly, the blade began to shake. Hancock let go immediately. The weapon levitated in the air for a second, and then then quickly sailed towards Neel. It plunged itself into the ground at Neel's feet. Neel got up and picked it out of the ground. He pointed it at the sky, and then pointed it at Hancock.

" Give me your best shot." Neel challenged. Truth was, he had no idea what he was doing, but he had some kind of feeling he was going to win. Hancock sneered and snapped her fingers. Three giant black tigers circled around him, sizing him up before the feast. One quickly pounced on him from behind. Neel whirled behind and fired his gunblade(He was really confused about what to call it). The bullet went straight through the beasts head and it crumpled to the ground. One came up from up from the front and tried to bite him. Neel back stepped and slashed the tiger's eyes, causing it write in agony. Neel jumped in the air and kicked the tiger in the back towards the last one. The two tigers fell of the edge of the arena. The crowd was stunned at the display.

Marigold and Sandersonia came forward to fight. Luffy decided to step in. Neel watched as Luffy used all kinds of techniques to fight of the two. Smoke billowed from his pink body. Neel was intrigued at his moves

_**Gear Second! Jet Gatling!**_

Luffy threw fists of supreme speed at them but he was held back by the two snake women. Neel saw how the snake woman could anticipate or disrupt Luffy's attacks. In the end, a snake coiled around him and grabbed him. Neel wanted to help, but they tied him tightly to the ground. Sandersonia picked up the statue of Marguerite and turned it upside down. She smirked evilly. Neel realized what she about to do. He quickly cried out.

" Wait, stop! She didn't do anything!" Neel shouted. It was useless. Luffy and Neel watched helplessly as Sandersonia brought down the statue. Luffy tried to scream.

_"SSSSSSTTTTTOOOOOOPPPPPP IIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!"_Luffy yelled. Some kind of power came out of him and made waves of shock. Neel was unaffected, but it was a different story for the women. They all slumped unconsciousness. Sandersonia and Marigold quickly went to Hancock.

" This boy...!" Sandersonia muttered to her sister.

" He has the Conquerors Haki!" Marigold whispered.

" We can't kill him! What about the other one?" Sandersonia asked Hancock.

"He is nothing but a good fighter. Kill him" Hancock ordered. Neel braced for his death as the spears from the Kuja members came down on him.

" NO, STOP! HE"S MY NAKAMA!" Luffy shouted, suddenly. He didn't know what was happening, but Neel was a good person. If they lived long enough, he might have wanted to meet him again some time. Or perhaps invite him to join his crew. Neel looked at Luffy with wide eyes. Neel was searching Luffy's eyes for some kind of lie, some kind of trick.

There was nothing but the truth. On that day, Raneus D. Neel had pledged his life to Monkey D, Luffy.

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**There are going to be minor changes to the overall main story, but they will be big enough to change it. Please review this chapter if you liked it! THANKS!**


	2. Terrible news

**I changed the original story into a story that fit Neel in, but don't worry. You still get the feeling of what happened during the Arc. Here's chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece. **

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_He looked at the sea, and then back at god._

_"I could grind your bones into pieces." God said._

_"I fear the water more than I fear you."The Dark Knight said._

_" I could melt you into nothing." God tried again._

_"The water would do many things you could not." The Knight replied. In an angry fit, God threw him into the sea._

_So, he laughed, and swam away._

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

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**Terrible news**

The Kuja tribe led them to a palace. Neel was looking at all the women. You really couldn't blame him, for he was a man. He breathed in deeply to calm himself down. Luffy just marveled at everything and his eyeballs were replaced with meat sticks. When they finally reached the main door, Luffy and Neel went inside the royal court room. Instead of a greeting, they were met with a veiled throne. Neel looked at the two Boa sisters in confusion.

"What did you want to show us?" Neel asked.

"Is there going to be meat? We want food!" Luffy asked happily. Neel face-palmed. The only thing Luffy ever cared about was food. How could he become the Pirate King?

"_You_ want food. I, however, want to get of this island and get away from this place." Neel stated sternly. Luffy pouted and stuck his tongue out at him. Neel did the same thing. Marigold split the two up and pointed at the veiled throne.

"One of you enter, but beware. Many men have killed themselves in the presence of our leader." Marigold said. Neel scoffed and ignored them.

"Luffy, you go. I don't want to kill myself just yet."Neel said without a care. Luffy entered the veil. Neel waited impatiently for about ten minutes before he snapped.

"What are they doing in there?" Neel asked the green-haired snake. Sandersonia only giggled evily. Neel had enough and went inside the veil. At the scene he was dumbfounded. She was naked.

"Your're naked." Neel said. Hancock looked at him, like she had won a prize. Luffy was indifferent.

"I am." Hancock said.

"Damn." Neel said, as he literally nose-bleeded out the door. He crashed through three walls before finally landing inside the women's bath. He was unconsciousness, with blood pouring out this nose. Hancock smirked at her good work. However, this boy in front of her wasn't affected by anything. Not even her Mero-Mero beams. She never met someone who wasn't attracted to her.

" You and your friend are to stay on this island until I leave for Marineford, which is in three days."Hancock said bluntly. Luffy furrowed his eyes brows in annoyance. He

" I have to get back to my crew! I have to leave, NOW!" Luffy argued. Hancock waved her hand in dismissal.

"Blame it on the Whitebeard pirates. It's not my fault Fire Fist got caught."Hancock shrugged nonchalantly. All the blood drained from Luffy's face. Ace got caught? How?! He was the strongest person Luffy had ever known. Luffy grabbed Hancock's shoulders roughly.

"What do you mean he got caught? What are they doing?" Luffy said frantically. Hancock reddened slightly at his intense gaze. She pinched herself to snap back into focus.

"His execution is in three days at Marineford."Hancock said. Neel got up and walked over there. He heard the name Ace. The name resounded in his head repeatedly. He was so sure he had heard it before.

"Wait, Luffy, what's Ace's full name?" Neel asked. Luffy glanced at Neel and gave him a look of confusion.

"Portgaz D. Ace. Why did you ask?" Luffy said, confused. Portgaz... That was also a name Neel had heard before,too.

"Who was his mother?" Neel asked. Luffy frowned because he didn't know. He only knew that Ace was the son of Roger. He didn't know his mother.

"I don't know. Sorry..." Luffy said frowning. Neel just patted him on the back.

Neel thought about what he was going to do. He had nowhere to go and no leads to his past. His weapon had the word "Ultima" on it, but it made no sense at all. The gauntlet that wouldn't come off his arm was strange. It was like that _was_ his arm and there was nothing under it. The two buttons, that turned the gauntlet into full fledged armor was mysterious. The one on his palm didn't work at all whenever he pressed it, but the one on the opposite side did. Even the armor itself was weird and sinister. It wasn't medieval, but it wasn't recent. It had a purplish dark tint to it and it was hard, but lightweight. It must have been made by the best blacksmith known to man! It was as if it came from another world entirely. It wasn't a devil fruit, since he could swim in water pretty well. So where did his power come from? He could go with Luffy to "hell". That sounded fun.

"So he's your bother, and he's about to be executed in three days? I have nothing better to do, and I don't know where to start finding out who I am...sol, why don't we go save him?"Neel said, smirking evilly. Luffy smiled and gave Hancock a determined look.

" Can you take us there?"Luffy asked. Hancock blushed but quickly snapped back out.

"S-sure..." Hancock said nervously. Neel noticed Hancock's actions. She was staring at Luffy weirdly. A weird hypothesis came into his head. He shrugged it off. Luffy and Neel went to the kicthen to eat. It was a full-fledged banquet! The women urged them to come to them with their seductiveness. Luffy's eyes turned to stars and his mouth watered. He pounced on all the meat he could find. Neel was no better. He was eating everything in sight. Truth was, he hadn't eaten since he woke up. He was really, really hungry. They danced and partied the night away. After the sun finally set and the day turned to night, Neel went out on the balcony and stared at the sea. He had a secret feeling for the sea. It was like he had known it for years and it was his old friend. The waves were calm on Amazon Lily. Luffy went beside him, his strawhat covering his eyes. Neel noticed the action.

"What's wrong, Luffy?" Neel asked,concerned. Luffy glanced at Neel from under his strawhat for a second, and then stared at the sea with him. The corner of Neel's mouth twitched into a smile slightly. _So this was the mature side of Monkey D Luffy._

"I...My crew and I were supposed to meet up in three days...I don't know if I should really go or not...Ace always said Whitebeard was really strong and could defeat anyone...but-"

"Do what you want to do. You... are a **pirate**! You are free to choose, for that is the reward for being one. I believe your crew would understand if you were to go rescue him." Neel smiled. Luffy looked at Neel fully now with a concerned face.

" Are you sure you want to go? Hancock says we have to go to Impel down, the underwater sea prison. It will be challenging to get through. Are you sure you want to?" Luffy asked. Neel sighed and looked at the sea once more. He recalled a faint memory of him swimming, but it went away.

" We are nakama aren't we? Nakama always help each other. Besides, I think I've heard the name Portgaz somewhere before. If I rescue him, I might be able to learn about him. He might know something about my memory. Also, It sounds fun to go through an underwater sea prison filled with dangerous criminals, wouldn't you agree?" Neel smirked evilly. Luffy smiled at him. Out of all the places to land, he landed in the right place. He decided Neel was going to join his crew, no matter what.

They both retreated to their rooms and slept, anxious about the three days ahead of them.

**The next day...**

Neel and Luffy waved good-bye to the Kuja tribe and boarded the ship. He slung Ultima onto his back and it instantly disappeared. He frowned slightly, but when he thought of the weapon, it instantly reappeared back in a mist of darkness in his hands.'Cool'He thought with a content smile. He made stashed Ultima away and marveled at the ship. The ship was huge and intimidating. Neel ran his hands against the wood of the ship. He dipped his hands in the ocean and smiled even wider. The sea was so beautiful. He was brought back to reality when Hancock ordered the ship to set off. Hancock looked at the two of them, Luffy more than him. She had a blush on her face when she came to them. Neel's eyebrows widened. It couldn't be...

"He-Hey Luffy..." Hancock said, shyly.

"Hiya Hammock!" Luffy said happily. Hancock immediately reeled her head back in lust. He was so sexy when he wasn't even trying! How could he do this to her? She was the Pirate Empress! The most beautiful woman in the entire world! Yet she had fallen in love with this man. Neel burst out laughing at the irony of it all. His laughter made everyone smile a little bit. Luffy felt like this wouldn't be so bad after all, being without his wondered what they would think of Neel. Neel went to the front of the ship and awaited for their arrival at Impel down.


	3. Landing

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece.**

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_Not a sword, and not a shield._

_He was everything,_

_yet nothing._

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

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**Landing**

It was the middle of the night, and Neel couldn't sleep aboard the Warlord's ship. He stared at the ceiling, thinking of something to do. He stared at his new friend,actually his only friend. Luffy had been so nice to him and accepted him. He did save him from death, so Neel guessed saving his brother was the least he could do. He stared out the window of his cabin, waiting to go to hell. He thought of the next day, and mentally prepared himself.

Once it was morning, Impel down was in sight. The Gates of justice loomed ominously over it. Neel shuddered to think what would happen if a pirate were to go beyond that gate. He took of his clothes and stared at his reflection in the morning. There were several scars on his body that weren't normal. For example, there was a scar in the shape of a Z on his hip. There was another lightning bolt scar on his shoulder-blade. His body told the story of a battle, and many more. He put on his clothes, checked if Ultima still worked, which it did, and set out of his cabin. The Kuja tribe was getting ready to disembark on Impel Down to go through the gates of justice. Neel stood next to Luffy on the railing, anticipating what was in that underwater castle.

" Quickly Luffy, you have to get under my cloak!" Hancock said shyly.

"Ok, thanks hammock!"Luffy said, as he got under Hancock's robe. She yelped a little and then giggled.

" What about me?" Neel asked.

"Die."Hancock said in a blissful stance. Neel sweat dropped. She was enjoying this way to much. Neel spotted a lot of marine ships going through the gates. He suspected they were all going to Marineford, for Ace's execution. Neel took of his clothes,bundled them up, and went to the railing. The women all stared at Neel in disbelief. He wasn't going to swim there?

" Hey Luffy, I'm going ahead. We will meet in hell, right?"Neel smirked. Luffy looked from under Hancock's cloak.

" Ok, but be careful, and most importantly, don't die!" Luffy said. Neel never lost his evil smile. With a shout he jumped into the sea. He touch downed in the water and began to swim near the entrance. Well , not necessarily swim, more like jet swim. He hid behind a marine ship that was passing by. He grabbed the hull and created a place to hang on by punching a hole. He saw Luffy and Hancock in the distance going onto Impel Down. He smiled and boarded the marine ship quietly. He slid against the wall of the ship and covered himself with a tarp. He blended in with the wood and waited his arrival.

After the marine ship finally docked, Neel disguised himself as a marine soldier and entered th eline getting of at Impel Down. The captain of the ship started to speak.

"All right, are you ready for your tour of Impel down? Lets go!" The captain ordered. The soldiers cringed, but Neel said nothing except go along with it. Thirty minutes later, they were called back to board the ship, because Luffy and a bunch of other prisoners had started to wreak havoc. Neel heard how Luffy went through the five levels of Impel Down. He quietly stole the key to the levels and went down the shaft. When he finally reached the bottom, he equipped Ultima in gun form and went out. According to the floor number, he was on the fifth floor, Freezing Hell. He didn't mind the cold, so he walked through. He came upon hundreds of dead prisoners. There was a nasty stench in the air. In the tour, the captain said that the Warden, Magellan, had to deal with some intruders on the fifth floor. Funny how they said " deal". Everyone was dead. Neel looked for Luffy left and right until he came upon a hole. He jumped through it, and entered another floor. He sniffed the air for something to follow on. He heard shouting coming from above him as he kept on walking through the tunnel. Eventually, Neel broke out into a full-blown out run. The screams became even more clear. It was Luffy! Neel quickly aimed Ultima at the ground above him, and shot a huge hole through the floor. He jumped up to meet a bunch of prisoners hanging around a door. The prisoners gaped in shock at him.

Invankov didn't know what to think of this new man. He wore marine clothing, but he wasn't a marine, nor a pirate. He pointed a strange weapon at them. The prisoners grabbed their weapons and ready to protect Luffy. Buggy stood next to them, who was petrified.

Jimbei stared at Neel in astonishment. It couldn't be him, could it?...

" Another enemy? We won't let you harm Strawhat!" The prisoners said nervously. Buggy was still petrified. Neel looked at Buggy with interest. He had seen that big red nose somewhere before, but it was a very faint memory...

" Hey, you the one with the big nose! Do I know you from somewhere?" Neel said, pointing his weapon at him. Everyone thought Buggy was going to start yelling curses at the black haired man,but instead the clown burst into wondered what was wrong. Those weren't tears of fear, those were tears of nostalgia and loss.

"Ne-Neel?" Buggy uttered, with a bug smile on his psychotic face.

"Wait, you know me?" Neel said, feeling hopeful.

" How could you forget me? Your on pupil!" Buggy yelled at him, but he was still crying.

"I'm sorry, but I have amnesia. I woke up on Amazon Lily a week ago. I have no idea who I am." Neel said sadly. Buggy went over to Neel and stared at him.

"You're the Dark Knight! You were the most well-known pirate there was! Your tales are epic pieces of adventures! All pirates use your principles in their crews because of you!"Jimbei said, bowing slightly.

" You mean you don't remember anything from you past? What about Rayleigh, Shanks, and Whitebeard? Do you remember anything, Master?" Buggy said. Neel looked at Buggy with wide eyes. Each one of those names, resounded through his head, over and over again.

" I remember small amounts. Like when I hear a name, I know if I heard it or not. You don;t have to call me Master by the way." Neel said.

" Nonsense! Out of everyone on that crew, I respected you the most. Your plans were all very flashy!" Buggy said, smirking evilly.

" What crew?" Neel asked confused.

"The Pirate King's crew, The Roger pirates. Does the name Gol D. Roger ring a bell?" Buggy asked. Neel's eyes widened at the name even more.

Roger, _ROGER_, **_ROGER_**. The name was the biggest of them all. It was as if he just reclaimed something so important, so sacred, that his life seemed dull before he heard that name.

" I ... was on the Pirate King's crew?" Neel said in shock.

" Not just one of them, but one of the founders! You were the third mate, The Dark Knight, Raneus D. Neel!" Buggy said. Every single pirate in the room burst into tears. They all bowed to him. They all treated him like a god. Neel wondered what was wrong.

" His name is written in so many stories!" One of them cried.

" He's like a legend!" Another one said.

" What do you mean? I don't feel that strong." Neel said, overwhelmed by all the attention he was getting.

" You wrote a book, remember? It has all your stories inside of it. Even the government has that book, Master! No one dares make fun of you name! Even the four Yonkou still follow your wisdom. Your famous on both sides!" Buggy explained. Neel was dumbfounded. He was that famous?

" How come the Kuja never reacted to me?" Neel asked.

"Iz probably vecuz of theair isolation! Zey don't contact ze outzide vorld!" Invankov said. Neel was startled at all the questions that exploded in his head. How was he still so young? How did he get Ultima? Did he have any family? Did he have a home? He wanted to read this book of his. It sounded fun to read his adventures. They were brought back to reality as a very malnourished Luffy stepped out of the room. Neel looked at Luffy in shock.

" What happened?" Neel asked frantically.

" That accursed Megellan poisoned Luffy. We preformed a treatment on him but it cost him 10 years of his life." Buggy explained. Neel couldn't believe it. Luffy was going to die at any earlier age because he wasn't there for him. He scowled but kept it in. All the food Luffy consumed was stored in his belly. Neel thought all hope was lost until Luffy actually moved his body parts around to get the foods digested faster. Neel clapped his hands at Luffy's use of the rubber fruit. The whole room screamed with delight. Jimbei checked Luffy for his wounds,]. Luffy and Neel met up again. Then ,without a second to spare, they ran for the exit. Along the way, Luffy spoke with him.

"So your famous, huh..." Luffy said, smiling slightly.

" I guess so. Although, I don't think I'm as good as they say." Neel whistled. Buggy overheard their conversation as they boarded the marine ship to Marineford.

" Don't think any low of yourself! If we do manage to survive this, I'll show you the book about you!" Jimbei said enthusiastically. He remembered when Neel had helped Fisher Tiger back in the day. Tiger told stories about him.

" That's nonsense, Master. You trained me and Shanks really well! Although you liked Shanks more-" Buggy started.

" YOU TRAINED SHANKS?" Luffy screamed. Neel rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Luffy stared at his strawhat with a small smile, which quickly dissipated as another question aroused.

" Bu-but wait! How come you're so young then? You look about 28 years old! And the King of the pirates was alive 22 years ago!" Luffy asked. Neel looked at Buggy.

" I have a question ,Buggy. How exactly did I disappear?" Neel asked. Buggy's smile immediately melted. His expression turned sour.

" We thought... you died in Roger's hands... It was at the island before Raftel... I wasn't there and neither was Shanks but... Rayleigh told us...I don't know anymore details, Master. I'm sorry." Buggy said sadly.

" That's OK. Can you answer another question for me? How did I get this?" Neel asked, stretching out the Ultima. Buggy had a very special look on his face. For once, he didn't look that psychotic.

" You found it. That's Ultima, the first weapon. And when I mean the first weapon, I mean _the first_ weapon." Buggy explained with a smile. Neel and Luffy listened eagerly.

"You mean, THE FIRST WEAPON EVER CREATED?" Neel asked in awe.

" Yup! It only answers to you and you alone. Your powers using amplified using that sword. It is literally every weapon into one." Buggy explained.

" I can only do the gun and sword form." Neel said, still inspecting his blade.

" Well before, you could make whatever you wanted! Grenades, rocket launchers, spears, nets, rifles, tridents, and even god weapons." Buggy explained, with his head in the clouds. Neel was impressed at himself. He must have been very powerful. Invankov told them , they were about to set off, so they boarded the marine ship.

" Not really." Neel said out loud, smiling at all of them. Everyone wondered how they knew what he was thinking. Jimbei only smiled at Neel's wisdom. Buggy only laughed, and then he cried, remembering a certain ship made of Adam wood, and a bunch of laughing crew members. Luffy and Neel sat down. Luffy informed Neel how they met Blackbeard and what happened during the break-in. Neel was about to question who was Blackbeard, but that was ruined by a transponder snail. Luffy picked it up. It was Bon Clay!

"Bon-Chan! Where are you?" Luffy asked. The prisoners listened intently.

" I- This is it for me. End of the line." Bon clay responded with a shaky breath.

" Mr.2! Don't be silly! You're still alive!" Mr.3 said with a frantic tone.

"I'm sorry." Bon clay replied. Luffy refused that answer.

" Why! Why do you keep protecting me! I don't ask for it! Why did you do it!" Luffy said, tears streaming down his cheeks. The prisoners started sniffling as well. Jimbei had a frown on his face, along with Buggy and Mr.3. Neel only shielded his eyes.

Bon Clay didn't respond. Neel started walking towards the snail.

" The gates are closing, Bon-chan...We're ... leaving." Luffy said sadly. Buggy and Mr.3 started to cry.

" MUGI-CHAN! YOU HAVE TO SAVE YOUR BROTHER, NO MATTER WHAT!" Bon clay screamed over the snail, crying. Neel walked closer. Everyone started to burst out crying.

"WAIT, BON-CHAN! DON-" Luffy started before the snail was snatched by Neel. His eys were sheilded but his famous evil smile was on his face.

" Are you... a pirate?" Neel asked, in a very old tone. The air tensed for a second or too. The prisoners held there tears in.

"Ye- yes." The snail repeated.

" THEN,... _**DO WHAT YOU WANT! YOU ARE A PIRATE! ROAM FREE!**_ AND BY THE WAY, STAFF OF IMPEL DOWN..." Neel stated over the snail. The prisoners stepped forward to hear.

" WHOEVER YOU ARE, AND WHERE EVER YOU ARE, I WILL FIND YOU, AND THEN I'LL BEAT YOU!" Neel vowed angrily over the snail. The prisoners burst out crying over the proclamation. Jimbei clapped his hands and shook his head.

" MUGI-CHAN! NEW BRO! YOU HAVE TO BEAT THEM! I WILL MAKE MY FINAL STAND HERE. OKAMA... WAY!" Bon clay screamed over the snail. The whole crew burst out crying. Invankov would make sure the gods sent Bon-boy to heaven and above.

" Who are you by the way, new bro?" Clay asked with a tired breath. The whole crew turned towards Neel. Neel remembered something very faint.

"_Who am I_? ",Neel chuckled softly over the snail," _I am everything and yet I am nothing._" After a few seconds, Bon Clay realized who he was talking to.

" I see, Dark Knight bro. Well let me leave you, Master Pirate, with my few words." The snail said. The crew waited.

"WORDS ARE NOT NEEDED FOR A OKAMA'S PARTING!"The snail said finally. Then, the snail died.

" BON-CHAN! MR.2! BON-BOY!" The crew screamed all at once. Neel tipped his head in respect. Master pirate? A master pirate wouldn't let him die. Neel just stared at the silhouette of Impel Down.

"Never mind what I said earlier..."Neel said," That is hell." And with that, Neel fell onto the ground asleep. The Gates of Justice closed finally and they had managed to escape. Except, there was no cheers of victory. The crew looked at one another with tired faces, but with renewed determination. Luffy sat next to Neel and slept against the wall. Everyone waited for their arrival at Marineford.


	4. Marineford

_Falling ,Falling , Falling into darkness_

_When he fell, the world looked up_

_However, his landing bruised the world_

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Marineford**

The prisoners were all cheering vividly for the probably first, and last, breakout from Impel down. They all celebrated , eating and drinking food they hadn't had in ages. Neel was inspecting Ultima, the famous infinity weapon. It was in the middle of the voyage to Marineford when Neel met Crocodile. He heard from the other prisoners that Crocodile was defeated by Luffy. Crocodile seemed to be working for them just fine. Neel decided to talk with him. Crocodile was sitting on a few crates on the deck.

" Hell, Crocodile." Neel greeted with a slight bow. Crocodile looked up from his seat and smirked a little.

"Well, if it isn't The famous Dark Knight. I still can't believe the stories about you, you know." Crocodile said. The prisoners were astonished. Mr.3 was the one who was shocked the most. Crocodile never treated anyone with such respect. It just goes to show how famous Neel was.

" Me neither. I still... have dreams of the past. A strawhat. A beard. A closed eye. A spear. Those were some of the few brief images in my head. People say that I was the third mate of the Pirate King's crew. You are an ex-Warlord , aren't you? Can you tell me about some of the stories the world says about me?" Neel asked, staring at the sea with a faraway look. Jinbei and Luffy listened intently. Crocodile took a drag from his cigar and looked at the sky. He blew the smoke into the air.

"Everyone that has ever done anything in the marines knows your name. You saved the world countless times. You were one of the greatest pirates of that time, next to Roger and Rayleigh. I was just a boy back then, but even I heard of you. You inspired many marines to chase you. Some of them became vice-admirals, others became admirals themselves. The World Government was the only group of people that despised you. I heard from Hawkeye Mihawk that you fought him a bunch of times when he was younger. He's the greatest swordsman in the world, now. There is a collection of your endeavors in a book. It's called "Tales of the Dark Knight". That book is one of the most famous books for pirates. I remember one story in particular. It was about when you tricked god into throwing you into the sea. You escaped from god's territory without a scratch on you! Nobody knows if it's true or not anymore, but I know it is. After all, I heard about it." Crocodile spoke, with a hint of admiration. Luffy smiled at Neel. He was going to read this book, even though he didn't know how to read. He could probably get Robin to read it for him. Jinbei got up and went to the front of the ship.

"Guys! We have a problem! The gates aren't open! How can we get in?" Mr.3 shouted. The crew looked at huge Gate of Justice. It was the only thing stopping them from getting through! Neel climbed the mast to get a better look.

" We are going to crash into it at this speed! Slow the ship down!" Neel ordered. Luffy stood at the front of the ship. The prisoners turned the wheel back and took down the sails. They were desperate.

"It's no use! What good will slowing it down do? We are going to crash anyways!" The prisoners screamed. Neel glared at them.

" So what? It's better to delay the inevitable than just give up! We have to hope!" Neel shouted. Suddenly Buggy got on the top of the cannon and raised his hands.

" Vuggy? Vhat ar you doing?" Invankov asked, confused. Suddenly the gates opened slightly. Then they started opening faster and faster. The prisoners were all bowing towards Buggy. Luffy has stars in his eyes. Jinbei was astonished. Crocodile and Mr.3 were confused. Buggy still didn't know how the gate was opening. He just saw it open slightly, so he pretended that he did it. Neel smiled at him.

" Good job, pupil! You really have grown up!" Neel praised. Buggy blushed and rubbed his head. You don't get praised by a legendary pirate everyday.

They all went to the front of the ship and stared at Marineford. Neel remembered Marineford when he saw it. He was there before, celebrating something or getting executed. He didn't know. Neel stood next to Luffy who was staring forward intently.

" So there it is. Marineford. Other wise known as the Main HQ for the marines." Neel said, blowing air out of his mouth. Luffy nodded slighty.

" Whitebeard is going to be there. Jinbei and Buggy told me. By the way, did you know that Jinbei was a Warlord? I didn't even know that!" Luffy said, regaining his idiotic nature. Neel smiled at him. He rested his back against the railing. He knew Whitebeard, but not by that name. He knew him by the name of Edward Newgate. He remembered talking to him before.

" I wonder how Edward's doing..." Neel muttered to himself. Buggy ran to the front of the ship.

"Wait a second, this ship is headed to the Marine HQ? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE, STRAWHAT?" Buggy screamed at the three of them.

" Don't you know about the war between the Marines and the Whitebeard pirates? WE ARE GOING TO DIE OUT THERE?!" The prisoners screamed. Neel looked forward.

" But at least you got a chance to be free. Don't waste Bon-chan sacrifice just because you are afraid of dying. You have been through the hell known as Impel down, have you not? What more training could you need? The Marine HQ will be nothing to you." Neel said, encouraging them on. The prisoners were hesitant but they obliged.

" You know, Ace-san told me a lot about you, Luffy. He said you used to play with him and fight with him all day." Jinbei said, steering the ship. Luffy grinned and told them about some stuff about what they had done. Neel knew that Ace was the son of Roger, so maybe he knew about him more than anyone. His best chance to regain his memory was with him. He listened to Luffy's stories of the past.

**An hour later...**

" I just received news that the war has just begun!" One prisoner said to Buggy. Neel scowled and kept trying to see if they were even close to Marineford. Luffy was anxious to get there. They went full-sail towards Marineford. They saw Marineford in the distance. Pirate ships surrounded the bay. A full-fledged battle was occurring between the two armies. It was absolute chaos. Suddenly, the ship rumbled and a huge tsunami came out of nowhere! It came from beneath the ship and carried it into the sky. The whole crew was shocked at the ordeal they were in. If it wasn't weird enough, the tsunami then turned to ice!

" WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Buggy screamed.

"How will we get down?" Mr.3 wondered. Luffy scowled when he remembered Aokiji and his freezing powers.

" It was Aokiji! We're trapped up here." Luffy growled, punching the railing. Neel quickly jumped up to get a better view. He looked at what few resources they had and looked at their height. He looked down to see the bottom of the tsunami had water. He had a plan, and a really stupid one, too. He tiptoed to Invankov and spoke to him.

" Invankov, use your powers to blow up the bottom of the ship." Neel whispered.

"Vhat? Vhy?" Ivankov replied nervously.

" There's water on the bottom of the bay. If we can land in it, we can survive the fall." Neel pointed out. Ivankov gulped and smiled evilly.

" You really do live up to your name, Dark Knight." Ivankov replied. He turned to everyone with an evil glint in his eye. Suddenly, the ground exploded and the ship started to fall. They all fell to the ocean.

**Everyone's POV**

Sengoku looked up to see a ship in the sky. He was wondering what that was. It was a marine ship. And then he heard it. That laugh that foiled all o his plans in the past. That laugh that brought out his own laughter. A grin crooked on his face for what seemed a second.

Garp looked up to see his grandson falling from the sky. He was standing next to Ace, who had an equal look of shock on his face. "LUFFY! YOU IDIOT GRANDSON!" Garp screamed. And then he heard it. That laugh that made him angry and conceited. That laugh that pissed him of so much. That laugh that made him want to be a pirate himself, even for a few seconds. The laugh that he had missed hearing for ages. He looked up in the sky to see that man's face.

Mihawk heard it as well. The sounds of people screaming from the sky. He saw Strawhat Luffy, Crocodile, Jinbei, and a few others he didn't recognize. Then he heard it. That laugh that made him turn into a child. That laugh that reminded him of what he was like before he was the greatest swordsman in the world. That laugh that he couldn't predict what it was going to do next. He looked up in the sky and saw his former master and rival. A small tear formed in his eye, but it went away quickly. What replaced it was a smirk. Mihawk gripped his sword. 'Only he could make me cry.' He thought in his mind.

Whitebeard heard it as well. That laugh that he heard when he was partying with Roger. The laugh that made him do pretty ridiculous stuff, now that he thought about it. His son's were confused, but they didn't no any better. They didn't know that man like he did.

**Neel's POV**

There we were falling from the sky, and to our deaths. We were all screaming our hearts out.

"SOMEONE DO SOMETHING, WE ARE GOING TO DIE!"

"IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR WINK!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, CROCO?"

"THAT DOESN"T MATTER RIGHT NOW. DO SOMETHING STRAWHAT!"

" I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRSUTED YOU, STRAWHAT! DAMNIT!"

" THAT DOESN'T MATTER. WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE! OH WAIT, I'M MADE OF RUBBER SO I'LL BE FINE!"

" ARE YOU KIDDING ME"

I couldn't see there faces, but I knew who said what. I looked down at the ground. Everyone was staring at the us with shocked expressions. I saw my old friends, Garp and Sengoku. I saw my rival, Mihawk. I saw the three admirals, looking as daunting as ever. I saw Whitebeard and his sons. I saw the seven warlords all surprised out of their minds. They all didn't know I was here, so what better way to just introduce my self with a laugh.

" ATTENTION, ENTIRE WORLD!" I shouted with the biggest grin on my face. Everyone looked at me as if I was a madman.

" I HAVE BEEN TAKING A NAP FOR TWENTY YEARS, BUT NEVER FEAR. THE DARK KNIGHT HAS COME BACK TO WREAK HAVOC ON THE WORLD!" I laughed as we all fell to our deaths. The whole navy was looking right at me as we fell. I could see some of them smiling, others frowning. Garp was crying a bit. Mihawk looked away, but I could see the smile on his face. Sengoku had the smallest trace of a smile on his face. I suppose that was the max amount of emotion I was going to get from him. Edward wiped his eyes, and rubbed his nose. He laughed strangely and kept on fighting. I smirked evilly at the world below me. I called Ultima to my hand and took hold of the broken Navy ship.

In a huge eruption, we touched down in the water. I swam deep into the water. I looked at my gauntlet. It was calling to me. The power of the Dark Knight was aching to be free. I slapped my wrist.

_**DARK...KNIGHT!**_

I sped upwards out of the water. While I was resurfacing, the armor spread on my body. I had a sudden burst of speed erupt me out of the water twenty feet in the air. The whole navy was right in front of me, staring at me with gaping mouths. I pointed Ultima in gun form at them.

" **WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? FIGHT ME, YOU NOVICES**!" I uttered, and with that, we all met in a fury of blades and guns.


	5. The War of the Best

_His sword blazed just and true, like a knight,_

_ but don't let that fool you,_

_for it was always dressed in blood_

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**The War of the Best**

Neel ran through the war-infested plaza towards the Moby Dick, the main ship of the Whitebeard pirates. His dark armor rippled waves of fear into the hearts of the marines. He seemed to almost be flying towards the ship, blending in with the shadows of the men in the war. He ignored the cries of the war and kept running towards Edward. He had many things to say to him. The Ultima sliced and shot anyone who got in his way. The pirates of Whitebeard were blocking him from going on the ship.

" STOP RIGHT THERE, DARK KNIGHT!" The pirates snarled at him. Neel didn't want to hurt his friends nakama, so he simply jumped over them and on to the ship. Neel noticed Crocodile trying to backstab Edward! Neel was about to cry out,but Luffy came in and stopped his hook from moving any further. Luffy was stopping Crocodile from hurting Edward. Neel scowled and walked over to him.

"What's your problem?" Neel asked, indignantly. The pirates backed up a little, because his armor was really scary.

" I have and old debt to pay to that man!"Crocodile scowled. Luffy spread his arms out to protect the old man.

" You better not hurt him! Ace likes this guy!" Luffy ordered. Crocodile grunted and flew of the ship to fight. Whitebeard remained silent, staring out at the battle. Luffy turned towards him.

"What do you think you're doing here, brat?" Whitebeard said, with a superior tone.

" I'm here to rescue Ace!" Luffy said, glaring at him. Ivankov and Buggy had looks of shock on their faces, watching Luffy. They both made a "quiet" sign with their hands, trying to shut him up. Whitebeard twirled his scythe in the air, trying to intimidate Luffy. Neel braced himself for the shock.

" A BRAT LIKE YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING HERE!" Whitebeard yelled, with a very menacing look. Ivankov and Buggy were now on overdrive and "shushed" louder. Luffy shielded his eyes for a second. Neel rolled his eyes at Luffy's stupidity.

"SHUT UP! I'll do what I damn want!" Luffy screamed at Whitebeard. The whole plaza face-planted into the ground in utter shock. Neel held back a laugh. Whitebeard didn't say anything, except glare indignantly at the war.

" Hey, you want to be the Pirate King, right? WELL TOO BAD! I'M GOING TO BE THE KING!" Luffy yelled defiantly, hands at his hips. The whole war "EHHHED?" at Luffy's idiocy. Neel burst out laughing, remembering his old captain provoking incredibly strong people. Whitebeard grunted and after a while, smiled.

"Brat... do what you want, just don't get in my way..." Whitebeard said, with an old voice. Luffy huffed and looked at war, preparing to join in.

"_THEY ALREADY GOT ALONG!" _The pirates screamed, in shock. Luffy looked at Neel with a determined look.

"I'll go right, you go left, Neel! And by the way, you're joining my crew! No matter what!" Luffy grinned. Neel saluted in humor and bowed.

" Anything for the King, Captain." Neel said in a royal tone. Luffy calmed down, and glanced at him.

"Don't die..."Luffy said softly, before running towards Ace. Luffy went into Gear-second and entered the battle. Neel grunted in agreement, and stood there, back to back with Whitebeard. They stood there, looking down at the ground. Whitebeard decided to break the silence.

"It's been to long...Neel..."Edward sighed, staring sadly at the war. Neel shielded his eyes from the world.

"Where did you go?" Edward frowned. Neel choked back a sob. How could he be so young, and him, dying of old age? It hurt to much.

"I'm... sorry... You all got old without me... and here I am..." Neel frowned sadly. Edward looked back at his old, once-lost,friend.

"I suppose you want answers..." Edward said. Neel stepped towards him and stood beside him.

"Yeah, I have amnesia, if you didn't know. I remembered basic things, like how to do math, what the four seas are. I just remembered Roger, and everyone else...I also know how Roger...died for us..." Neel said, blankly. He gripped Ultima with force.

" He gave up his life for you, you know. I don't know the full story, but he said you were "asleep, not dead". I don't know anything beyond that." Edward said.

" I failed to protect him, but I won't fail to protect his son! After this war is over, do you want to have a test of strength, old friend?" Neel smirked evilly at him. Edward laughed strangely and nodded with a genuine smile. He reminisced the old days, when they were young, for a second. He was not going to cry in front of his own sons, even though he was badly tempted to.

" Say... did you find that weapon...Ultima?" Edward coughed weakly for a second. Neel unsheathed it and held it out for Edward to see.

" Do you know anything about it?" Neel asked. Edward grunted and stared at it.

" I remember you saying something about ancient weapons... All I know, is that it can change into anything you desire. You can amplify it with your dark powers. I can't remember where you got it and what you said. I _have_ gotten old." Edward sighed.

"That's OK, I plan on finding out myself." Neel smiled at him. Edward chuckled and glanced at Neel again.

" Are you going with that brat?" Edward laughed. Neel grinned and looked at his new captain.

" He reminds me of Roger, don't you think? Always hyper and full of adventure. I have already pledged my life to him. So might as well have some fun at it." Neel said, putting Ultima on his shoulder, stretching his legs.

"Well...sure...try not to die..._brat._"Edward mocked at him. Neel glared at his old friend, for comparing him to his sons and enemies. After a while, Neel grinned evilly at the war.

"You too, _old man_." Neel laughed, jumping of the ship. Edward frowned in disapproval and sighed watching his friend run off to fight. Even after 20 years, he still couldn't outwit the damn bastard...

Neel raced through the battlefield, Ultima in sword form. He sliced and diced through many marines. The pirates gawked at him admiringly. He was really strong for a 50 year old man! The marine captains glared angrily at him and sped towards with "Soru". They trapped him in a circle.

"We've got you now, Dark Knight!" The captains sneered, raising their swords. Neel grinned mischievously at all of them. He changed Ultima into gunblade mode. He needed a warmup anyways. The marine captains brought down their swords in four directions. Neel whipped Ultima in the air.

_**Darkness Armament!**_

The Ultima sword turned obsidian black and darkness erupted from it. The Darkness surrounded the gunblade with tendrils of darkness. The pirates gaped in shock. Marco noticed the disturbance and looked down to see his father's former rival. He noticed the darkness surrounding the weapon, Ultima.

"Wait , is that Haki? It's not like that with ours!" Marco exclaimed, looking at him from the sky. The pirates agreed and watched. The marine captains scowled and slashed with a roar. Neel swiped downwards, aiming at no one, and the ground exploded in a huge explosion of darkness. The pirates and marines flew around the battlefield, in absolute terror. Neel emerged from the sphere of darkness and stared with a blank look at the marines awaiting to challenge him. The marines were clutching their guns in fear. He wasn't even glaring at them, but his grim face was so intimidating. Neel ran towards the marines and slashed the marines again, the shadow of his weapon cutting anything in it's way. The tentacles of darkness surrounding Neel shot out and pierced the enemies. The pirates roared wildly with new found hope and rushed forward to fight. Neel dashed towards the execution stand. From up there, Sengoku scowled madly but then smiled.

"It's been a while since I ever had the challenge of facing the tactics of that infuriating bastard..." Sengoku mocked. Garp snorted in displeasure.

" We might actually lose, at the rate he's defeating our forces." Garp frowned. He shortly got up and cracked his knuckles.

"It's been a long time since I ever challenged a man as strong as him." Garp grinned, determined.

"Not yet, Garp." Sengoku ordered.

The three admirals glared at Neel. Akainu seemed the most enraged. Aokiji gripped his shoulder.

"Its seems we get another chance to kill that man..." Kizaru said blankly, staring at Neel.

"Let's see if he's still as strong as he once was..."Aokiji said. Akainu glared at Neel menacingly.

" All evil must die...no matter what... That man is pure evil..." Akainu snarled. Garp walked over to Akainu and stared at him.

"Akainu, you can say all you want about pirates being evil, but that man...! That man has sacrificed so much for the world, and all of his family and friend died without him. We owe our lives to him and his endeavors. Don't insult his name, just fight like you would every other pirate." Garp said,with a deadly tone. Akainu scowled and waited for his orders to fight. He would kill that man, even if he once did do many thing for the world!

Mihawk was silent among the Warlords, more so than usual. His french hat covered his eyes. The Warlords looked at him, hoping to see some emotion from the swordsman. Mihawk looked up with a very blank stare. He looked to the left and right of him, staring with his hawk eyes at the Warlords. They did nothing but look away and stay vigilant. Mihawk gripped his sword and stared at his former master and rival.

"Finally, another swordsman...other than Roronoa..."Mihawk muttered, solemnly. His eyes were very emotionless but don't let it trick you. On the inside, he was crying his heart out, eager to fight that admirable knight.

* * *

**Mihawk finally decides to do something other than stare at people. He probably realized Zoro was going to kill him sooner or later. In any case, hope you had fun reading this chapter. Please Review!**


	6. The Greatest vs The Best

**Did you ever have those days when you were to tired to anything? That was pretty much my whole week. I didn't know what to write next for my other story,and I wanted to write more of this one! Here's chapter six!**

* * *

_"Where is it, foolish knight? Where is the One Piece?" The gods shouted at his dying form._

_The Knight chuckled wildly._

_"Foolish immortals of heaven! It's been here this whole time!" He shouted back._

* * *

**The Greatest vs The Best**

Neel slashed and fought back the marines with his power. It was practically on instinct, like a voice in his head. Neel blasted through several marines with his powers.

" GO, DARK KNIGHT!" The pirates cheered. Neel grinned widely at the attention. His weapon glistened in the war.

"Time to test out Ultima!" Neel said to himself. The 10 captains stood in front of him, all ready to attack. Neel pointed his weapon at the sky.

**_Ultima Shift: Hammer!_**

The weapon transformed itself into an ordinary looking hammer, about the size of a sword. Neel spun it in his hands, getting a feel for it. The captains sneered at his display. They had no idea what was in store for them. One captain used "Soru" and sped towards him, sword first. The captain sneered inhumanely.

"DIE!"The captain yelled. Neel raised the Ultima hammer in the air. The captain looked up and saw the hammer. It looked as if it started to howl. The captain widened his eyes in fear, but it was to late. Neel unveiled his eyes to reveal a wild, demonic look in his eye.

_**Ultima: Crush!**_

Neel brought his hammer down at an extremely fast speed. The darkness adapted with the hammer and made it even more powerful. The hammer smashed the captain's head, into the ground. There was no bottom to the abyss. The marines all gaped in shock, but quickly recovered. All 9 of them surrounded Neel and attacked. Neel remembered something faintly in his memory and grinned. He put a hand on his hammer.

_**Ultima Shift: Sword!**_

Neel slid a hand over his weapon and it turned into a sword. The pirates were all gawking in amazement. Hoe could he do that with such a small amount of time? Neel stabbed the blade into the ground. The captains all swiped at Neel with their swords,but Neel,with extreme flexibility, did a handstand on the sword. He spun his dark-empowered legs around and hit all 9 of them. The blood red cape flowed gallantly in the wind. The pirates paused for a second.

"Come on! Luffy's waiting for us,and so is Ace!"Neel cheered. The pirates were about to charge, but something was wrong with the air. They looked back at their captain, and their hearts dropped to nothing. Neel gaped in shock as Whitebeard was pierced through the chest by a pirate.

"OLD MAN!" The pirates screamed. They were about to rush to help him, but Neel got there first. He flew back to the ship using the darkness to speed him up and kicked the pirate into the ground. The pirates eyes turned white. EVeryone stepped back a bit at Neel's ferocity. Neel stood dauntingly over the pirate, his darkness leaking out of his body. The mask hid his true face. Marco stepped in and picked Squardo up by the neck

"Squardo! Why did you do that!" Marco yelled, holding Squardo by the neck.

" I-It- It's not my fault! YOU"RE THE ONES THAT LIED TO ME! I never knew Ace was Roger's son! I heard you were planning on making him the pirate king! How could you betray me like that! The only reason I joined your crew was because you were his enemies! Now, you've also made friends with this Dark Knight? Do you know what he did to me and my crew? They all died!" Squardo screamed, coughing up blood. Neel scowled immensely, but it quickly faltered. He turned around and stared back at the war.

" I have nothing to say to you. Whatever happened with your old crew is not my fault. You obviously did something wrong. Edward, you take care of your son.I'm not his father." Neel stated seriously, dashing back to fight. Whitebeard looked at his son angrily. Squardo brought his sword up again.

"You brat! What did you do that for?" Whitebeard yelled, crouching down to Squardo's level. He still had a look of anger.

"Your the one that di-"Squardo started, but he was quickly stopped by a tight hug from Whitebeard.

" Never mind that, I still love you, my son."Whitebeard said.

"O-Old man..."Squardo mumbled.

"Who has purged your loyal heart?" Whitebeard muttered.

"Akainu said so..." Squardo stuttered back in shock. Marco scowled at the hidden face of Akainu.

"Figures they would stoop as low as that. Planting the seeds of treachery."Marco muttered angrily.

"Let me handle this, my son." Whitebeard said, standing tall once more.

The pirates all smiled at Whitebeard's greatness. Neel offered a slight smile, but kept on fighting. He ran to the middle of the field. He looked around the raging battlefield for the jubilant captain. he sharpened his eyes and he saw Luffy fighting Mihawk. Neel quickly rushed over there, dashing through the enemies.

Mihawk wasn't even trying, and still he kept pushing Luffy back from the execution stand. Luffy panted heavily from dodging so many cuts. He hated to admit it, but Zoro had a long away to go if he ever wanted to win against this guy. Mihawk slashed the ground and Luffy was forced back even more.

" What will you do? You're getting farther away from your brother." Mihawk said blankly. Luffy crouched down on the ground, panting. He was so exhausted, but he had to do this! There was no way he was going to let his brother die. He tried to stand up, but instantly faltered. Mihawk noticed this and dashed forward and slashed down. Luffy's eyes widened. Mihawk's attack, however, was stopped by a familiar blade. He looked up from his french hat to see the equally sharp black eyes of his former rival.

"Da-DAMN!" Luffy cursed, crossing his arms to block the attack. WHen he realized he wasn't dead yet, he looked up to see Neel, holding Mihawk back with his Ultima. Luffy grinned widely.

"Neel! Thank you so much!" Luffy cheered.

"It's ok! Go on ahead! Don't fight the admirals! Leave them to the Whitebeard pirates! Keep running, and never look back! And don't die!" Neel shouted, not taking his eyes of Mihawk. Luffy dashed of to the execution stand. The Dark Knight focused his attention on the vampire swordsman.

"So how long has it been,_ boy_?" Neel mocked in a superior tone. Mihawk smirked deviously.

"Your looking young, rival. I heard from Red hair that you died." Mihawk mocked back. Neel clashed with Mihawk in a fury of strokes that cut the ground.

" Well. what do you know? Your not a weakling anymore."Neel taunted. Mihawk pushed Neel back with slash to the ground. He pointed his enormous black blade at Neel once more. Neel stabbed his sword in the ground and took of the visor covering his eyes as a peace gesture. Mihawk did not take his eyes of Neel.

"Enough of this, my captain has told me not to kill for the sake of another crewmate. Should you tantalize me any farther, _boy_, punishment will be dealt ten fold. Choose wisely." Neel threatened coldly. Mihawk laughed at rival's arrogance. In return, MIhawk swished his blade in the air, ripoking it and evoking a loud noise. Then he pointed it back. Neel sighed and shook his head.

" You never will learn, will you?" Neel said, instantly picking up Ultima and dashing behind Mihawk. MIhawk widened his eyes slightly."Your 100 years to late to underestimate me."

Mihawk quickly turned around and blocked the speedy attack. Their eyes met for what seemed nano seconds. Neel put his visor down, regaining his scary nodded to each other,and the epic duel started. Neel lunged right and left at Mihawk, pushing him back and back. Mihawk had been accustomed to his style of fighting long ago. It was nostalgic for a second,but he wasn't a man to lose attention. Mihawk twirled around and slashed an opening in Neel's armor. The Knight noticed it and actually put his hand on the black blade's non sharpened side and did a handstand, flipping over. Neel slashed upside down with Ultima, mid-fip. Mihawk barely dodged it, a piece of his coat cut off of him. Mihawk grunted.

" I had forgotten your strength."Mihawk said, readying his sword.

"As did I. But lets finish this... NOW!" Neel shouted, pointing his sword at Mihawk. Tendrils of darkness erupted the air. Mihawk raised his blade and swiped down with the most powerful slash in the world. It sped towards Neel at supersonic speed. Neel stabbed Ultima in the ground and a huge area of darkness engulfed the green slash. Neel then took of running in the direction ofthe execution stand. When the dust cleared, Mihawk saw that Neel had run off. He scowled for a second but then quickly raised his sword to block another swordsman. It was Vista of the Flower blade.

"Now that your done fighting him, how about me?" Vista said, pushing his two rapiers. Mihawk said nothing.

_I'll see you again, Master. _Mihawk thought.

And with that, Neel smirked and took of running to save Ace.

* * *

**Just so people don't get confused, here's the list of Neel's powers**

**Darkness Armament: Empowers Neel's current attack with darkness**

**Ultima: Sword: Changes Ultima into a sword rapidly**

**Ultima: Hammer: Changes Ultima into a hammer rapidly**

**Ultima: Crush: An empowered swing of the hammer.**

**Until next time!**


	7. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece.**

* * *

_The darkness is a very powerful force_

_It can trump god and all its supreme glory_

_But the only thing it can never defeat_

_is itself..._

_- Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**The Truth**

"Are you going to let a rookie take over the war? Fight back!" Sengoku barked at the marines. The marines charged after Luffy in anger.

"He and Ace are not biological brothers, so he is not Roger's son! However, he is the son of the Revolutionary, Dragon!" Sengoku shouted into the microphone. The whole world was startled at the statement. The marines all froze in horror, but that quickly changed into disgust. A giant stepped forward.

"LET ME TAKE CARE OF THIS RUNT!" The giant yelled, slamming his mace down. Luffy, Jinbei, and Neel jumped out-of-the-way of the mace. Luffy jumped up in the air, and bit his thumb.

**GEAR THIRD! GOMU-GOMU NO GIANT RIFLE!**

With a fierce yell, Luffy defeated the giant with his giant fist and screamed at Ace. Neel smiled widely and kicked a few marines who were striking at him.

" I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES OF PIRATES! I'M SAVING YOU EVEN IF IT MEANS DEATH!" Luffy screamed, knocking the giant out. Ace cried even more than before.

Neel smirked and gunned down another wave of marines. The pirates all yelled a battle cry and surged forward. The commanders of the pirate army all lead them to battle. Whitebeard swung his bisento, creating another shockwave and destroying the island of Marineford. Luffy started falling to the ground from the sky, panting heavily. Neel jumped up and caught Luffy by the shirt and safely dropped Luffy to the ground, shooting the few marines who tried to intercept them.

" We're almost there, Luffy. Just a little more..." Neel muttered, trying to catch his own breath. There were cracks all over his armor and he looked very tired. Luffy lost track of how long he had fought. Luffy started running next to Neel, finally grasping how hurt and damaged Neel was. There was a bullet chunked into his leg, but it never made it through. The side of his lower abdomen had been cut open. One of the "horns" on Neel's helmet had been cut off. Blood trickled down from the side of his head. His eyes were weary and sleepy. Luffy frowned at his friend.

" You shouldn't push yourself so hard." Luffy complained, punching a few marines with his powers.

" You're one to talk, ." Neel retorted back, smashing a few enemies with his Ultima hammer.

" I beat him, didn't I?" Luffy replied back, staggering a bit.

Neel blocked another strike from the marines. Ivankov was following behind them, blowing away the remaining soldiers with his winks. It was all going fine until they saw the obstacle in front of them. A giant wall was standing between them and the execution stand. Whitebeard was surging forward with all his strength.

"Start the execution now!" Sengoku ordered loudly. The pirates cursed silently.

"Do you really think that's going to stop-" Whitebeard started, before he crouched to the ground, coughing up blood. His body couldn't take much more of this. Neel thought of what to do, but the chances they had to get past the wall were slim. The wall was guarded by elite marine captains and soldiers. The Whitebeard pirates were exhausted from fighting as well. Luffy then got Neel's attention.

"Neel, I have a plan! Will you follow me?" Luffy asked. Neel smirked and glanced at Luffy.

"Do you even have to ask?" Neel grinned. Luffy then turned to Jinbei.

"Jinbei, I have a favor to ask!" Luffy said, frantically. Jinbei nodded and listened...

**At the Wall...**

The three admirals stood defiantly over the pirates, showing off their supreme power. The pirates were very tired. Whitebeard was doing all he could. Kizaru laughed in his lackadaisical voice and pointed his finger at Whitebeard. A light emitted from it.

"It's over..."Kizaru said. The pirates all grimaced in pain. However, a loud noise erupted the air...

**OCEAN CURRENT SHOULDER THROW!**

Jinbei threw a large column of water over the wall and towards the admirals. Everyone was mystified from the water. The three admirals were partly shocked and tried to see what was in the water. The giant water column slammed into the ground with intense force and doused the land. When the water finally subsided, Luffy,in his gear second place holding a mast of a ship, and Neel who stood directly behind him, glancing back at the admirals. The water circled around them, as if pushing them along. Ace was so shocked, he couldn't get the words out right.

"Lu-LUFFY!" Ace screamed for his little brother. His mouth was wide and his face frantic. Garp seethed from the act. Sengoku had a blank three admirals all looked at the two pirates. Luffy panted heavily and looked fiercely into the eyes of the marines. Neel had a very grim face.

"Oh no, you already made it." Aokiji said.

"You're standing tall, Dragon's son! Dark Knight!" Akainu said.

"It scares me! Their youthfulness!" Kizaru said tiredly.

Coby and the rest of the marines were all shocked, jaws dropped, and eyes wide. Garp stared at Neel angrily. Why did he have to make it here? Sengoku had a very blank face.

" They jumped over the wall! Ace's brother!" The pirates said in awe. Whitebeard laughed weirdly.

" He hasn't changed a bit... going along with such crazy plans..." Whitebeard muttered. Neel and Luffy still stood there, gazing fiercely into the eyes of the admirals.

" I praise you for your tenacity, Dragon's son!" Akainu mocked.

" However, you're not ready to come back, Dark Knight." Aokiji said bluntly.

" How do you plan to beat us in your current states?" Kizaru stated, in a uninterested tone.

Luffy panted, trying to catch his breath. Neel gripped his weapon tightly. They glanced at each other for a second. There was no way they could beat the admirals. Neel still wasn't sure if he could do it. But they were so close to quit now! They glanced back to the admirals.

"GIVE BACK,"Luffy and Neel shouted, throwing the mast at the admirals," ACE!"

The mast flew towards the admirals, but Aokiji simply froze it with his hands and threw it back. Neel jumped in the air, and intercepted the mast in a fury of slashes. The mast turned into water and then into a fine mist, blinding the admirals for a second. Neel and Luffy sped past the admirals with all the speed they could muster. They didn't have time to fight them!

"How cunning of them." Kizaru said, disappearing in a flash of light. Aokiji followed him.

Luffy and Neel flew towards Ace. They were almost there! However, Kizaru and Aokiji appeared in front of them. They both froze in horror.

"Too slow."Kizaru taunted as he kicked Luffy in the face ruthlessly. Luffy yelled in pain and crashed into a building.

"You're not as strong as you once were!" Aokiji yelled, punching Neel in the stomach with a freezing fist. Neel's armor cracked and he flew into a group of marines in an explosion. The punch had shattered his armor. Everyone could see half of his face, twisted in pain. Sengoku turned towards the executioners.

" Let the execution proceed as planned!" Sengoku ordered to them. The executioners nodded and lifted their swords, intent on cutting Ace's head. The Whitebeard pirates all yelled at Ace in terror. Luffy screamed as loud as he could. Ace closed his eyes and waited for his death. Neel's mouth was wide open and his mind working at a furious speed.

_If only...!_

_Suddenly, everything stopped. The world paused for Neel. Neel got up in confusion. He looked around him, but everything was frozen. Time had stopped. Neel tried to make sense of what happened._

_"If only... What?" A voice said behind him. Neel whirled around to meet a perfect replica of himself. The Knight in front of him looked at him, arms crossed. Neel was confused even more._

_"Wh-Who are you?" Neel asked. The Knight's eyes were empty and hollow. His armor was perfect and flawless. He even had the same weapon as Neel._

_"I am many things. I am all. I am nothing. I am that. I am this. I am the over there. I am the beginning of nothing. I am the end of anything. I am you."The Dark Knight spoke lowly in a nightmarish voice. His voice seemed to be loud and quiet at the same time. _

_"What did you do?" Neel asked, looking around him. He was so confused that confused now had a new meaning._

_" You still haven't answered my question. If only what?" The Knight said. Neel thought for a second. How could he freeze time? How could he do this? How did he have the same weapon, strapped to his back? How did he have the same armor as him? And how was he him? He was him! Neel's mind was jumbled with all the questions that had arisen. He decided to answer the question._

_"If I had a little more power, I could have saved him!" Neel yelled. The Knight paused for a second._

_"I... have and alternative. How about this? The boy is already destined to die here. It has been written over and over. However, what I can do is change his death so that it actually changes the world. The King is not strong enough. However, this is a necessary loss." The Knight explained. Neel widened his eyes in terror. King? Destined?_

_"What do you mean destined? And what King?" Neel yelled at the Knight angrily. The Knight was still emotionless._

_"Why, the man you have followed for so long. I can't believe you are me. And yes, that boy Ace is destined to die here."The Knight replied. Neel was shocked. Luffy was the king? Did the weird knight mean the King of the Pirates? _

_"What do you mean by destined to die! We can still save him!" Neel retorted back. _

_"No, you cannot save him. The King will be forced to go through immense pain,but when he endures it, he will be stronger than ever. The world decided that long ago." The Knight replied. Neel was silent and pensive._

_"I understand your confusion. I was in a similar position once. What I am offering you is a small chance. If the King does not go through this he will die here, along with his brother. However, if I interfere, I can change the fate of you and everyone else. I have lived long enough. It's your time to hold the reins of destiny!" The Knight explained back. Neel's eyes were shielded. It sounded as if he was correct and somehow, Neel knew it too. He knew Ace was going to die here. He felt so very sorry for Luffy._

_"So you now the truth of what happened to me. I mean us. Whatever. The point is, if the King goes through this pain, then I won't have to go through it?" Neel replied calmly._

_"Yes... I chose to take the pain all seven times, young knight... I thought of my King and only my King. However, I realized that it led to our downfall. If you don't do this, The King will never reach his rightful throne. I know it is hard to believe, but you must trust me. I mean us. Whatever." The Knight said, losing his professionalism. Neel's face cracked into a grin for a second._

_"As long as I learn what happened to me, then I am okay with this plan of yours. He will go through immense pain... but you say at the end of it, he will be stronger?" Neel said._

_"Yes, if he is the one. As I said, it's a very slim chance, me." The Knight replied. Neel laughed out loud. He really was him! He knew he would have to tell Luffy about this, but surely, he would understand. He was strong and had a will of steel. _

_"Fine, I accept the terms of your plan!" Neel agreed, nodding at the Knight. The Knight then shed a single tear out of it's hollow eyes. Neel was surprised that he finally showed some emotion._

_"I have traveled long and far. Know this, young knight. The power you have cannot defeat the enemy that is approaching. You must act on your own bidding. What happens now will shake the world entirely. The gods will punish me, yes, but I will continue to exist in you. There is another power that dwells within you. You may think that you were only alive in the previous king's time, but your history reaches far into the void. In our last life, you willingly followed the path given to you. Do not make that same mistake. You will find a woman, who you have met before. You will reach all the way to the end with the king of beasts. This new power that has yet to be awakened in you has never been awakened until now. The powers of the Light Knight! The power to protect everything will be yours, but at a very steep price. I can't stay any longer. I wish I could tell you so much more! If you ever doubt yourself, know this. When you read the book, know that the Knight in that book was you! You are powerful! Carry the King to the end of the seas! This is goodbye! Raneus D Neel!" The Knight spoke out to him. Neel was astounded by the truth. He was alive more than he knew? The powers of the Light Knight? And a woman? Whatever Neel had just agreed to, he was sure he did something pretty crazy. The Knight then faded into dust, a permanent smile etched onto it's hollow face._

_"Let's do this!" Neel yelled, and time resumed once again._

"ACE!"Neel yelled. The blade's of the executioners flew into the air. A sword of sand cut part of the execution stand. The executioners tripped down the stairs oto the ground. Sengoku gawked into astonishment and seethed out anger.

"WHO DID THIS?" He barked at the crowd of marines. He spotted a familiar looking man in the center. The man scoffed and continued to smoke his cigar.

" CROCODILE!" The marines shouted. Sengoku was beyond furious now.

"I thought we were lucky when we learned that you had a grudge on Whitebeard! What happened to it!" Sengoku yelled.

"Him!" Luffy said, slightly annoyed.

"You were hell-bent on killing Whitebeard! Why the sudden change of heart?" Jinbei asked, confused.

Crocodile scoffed again in disgust.

"The Old man in nothing more than a dying wreck. So I'm doing the next best thing and betraying the navy.I don't want to see you experience victory." Crocodile said seriously. Suddenly his head was chopped off. No one was shocked, because he just replaced it with sand. Behind Crocodile, Donquixote Doflamingo laughed evilly.

"What's the meaning of this,Crocodile? I thought we were teaming up?" Doflamingo said. Crocodile paid the man no attention.

" I team up with no one." Crocodile replied, glancing back with a malicious face.

"That's the same as brushing me off."Doglamingo said back, with a deceptive smiling face. They eyed each other viciously for a few seconds, and then clashed in a fury of attacks. Luffy got up and bushed of his shorts. Neel went over to him in all the confusion. His armor was still broken and destroyed, but anything worked.

" I don't get what's going on, but we were saved." Luffy said to Neel. Neel wanted to say so many things, tell him to stop pushing himself, but he knew it was futile. The truth was so hard to keep to himself. He didn't want Luffy to be hurt tremendously, but he had to learn. He had to learn what it was like to lose someone, or he would never grow up and face the world.

" Tell me about it..." Neel said quietly. A marine dashed towards Luffy.

"End of the line, Mugiwara!" The marine yelled, sword readied. Neel quickly got in front of Luffy and slashed the man's chest open. Neel glanced back at his captain.

"GO!" Neel yelled. Luffy smiled and jumped in the air. He sped towards the hundreds of mairnes.

"Get out of my way!" Luffy yelled, blowing away the marines with his whole body. Neel followed in example, destroying the ground with his hammer. Marines flew in a circle of destruction. Alaina aappeared behind the marines. Luffy was beatin the marines senseless until Aokiji came forward with his ice powers and slashed Luffy's arms. Luffy reeled back in pain. Neel shot at the marines that attempted to attack Luffy. Neel noticed Whitebeard and his men had managed to enter the plaza. Luffy got up and started running towards Ace again. Whitebeard was causing massive earthquakes though the air, cracking the air in half. Everything was in absolute chaos.

Neel ignored all the sounds of war, and continued to speed towards Ace.


	8. Freed

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece**

**I finally finished my other story so I'm currently focused on this you all for reviewing! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D I love reading everything you guys tell me! I WANT MORE! In any case, A certain asked me what age Neel was in the story.**

**He is 28 years old physically. Key word right there. But mentally, he's the age of Rayleigh, probably. He still acts like a kid because he never experienced those emotions in the brain. It's practically like skipping your childhood and going straight to hell. You get it?**

**Super short chapter by the way. Please forgive me... I'm losing time to write nowadays.**

**Anyways, here's chapter 8!  
**

* * *

_Pick up a gun  
Pick up a sword  
Pick up a axe  
He would pick up the world.._

_- Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Freed**

**" KILL HIM! DO IT NOW!" **Sengoku screamed at the executioners. The Whitebeard pirates froze in fear. Luffy and Neel ran even faster than ever now.

The executioner's brought their swords up and prepard behead Ace. The Flame man closed his eyes and braced himself. Luffy tried to form words as he ran. Neel was in the same state. Elite marines surrounded all of them. One got a good punch in Luffy's face. Another managed to slash a cut at Neel's legs.

Whitebeard tried to move forward but was stopped by a light beam from Kizaru. He seethed anger.

" No! Stop!" Luffy yelled in vain. The swords came down and everything stopped again. Luffy had a look of outright anger. Neel widened his eyes and tried to warn the pirates, but it was to late.

_" I SAID, SSSSTTTTOOOPPPP IIIITTTT!" _Luffy screamed with a blast of haki. Everyone around the two of them fainted out of shock. All the pirates and marines slumped to the ground. Everyone froze in fear at Luffy. Some marines were barely clinging to their conciusness. Luffy and Neel raced across the frozen battlefield.

" What the hell was that?" Ivankov said behind them. Luffy ignored the revolutionary and surged forward. Neel said nothing, but he knew what it was.

The Conquerer's Haki. The best one out if all three. The name echoed in his head. He had something on the edge of his tongue. A memory clicked in his head and he remembered something faint. It was so important, but it was so far away. He was brought back to reality as he watched the frozen sea vanish before his eyes.

"Get to the plaza, NO MATTER WHAT!"A pirate screamed in the water.

Sengoku ordered the marines to break the frozen ice under the pirates feet. They all were sitting ducks in the water. Neel blinked away tears of sadness. He watched as the Moby Dick burned to ashes. He'd been on it once. He kept on running behind Luffy, shooting marines that attempted to sneak up on them. The marines were so amazed at his ability to shoot so sharply, like a sniper but at close range. He had the eye of Mihawk himself. Well, Mihawk had the eyes of Neel, technically. Neel watched as the giant Oars pushed down a pillar of the wall to create makeshift bridge. With a smile, the giant coughed up blood and fell to the ground. Luffy and Neel jumped on top of the giant, racing across it. Neel bent low for a second.

_Thank you._

The giant smiled a bit before losing conciusness. Luffy then kept moving forward, glancing back to check on Neel. They both ran up the huge pillar that led straight to the execution stand.

" We can do this! Don't stop!" Neel panted, encouraging Luffy on.

The two ran as fast as they could up the pillars. The pirates screamed their names in cheer and raced forward after them. Whitebeard was also fighting now. Neel looked up to see a familiar face. His eyes widened tremendously at the flash of images. He stumbled back a bit.

_Garp..._

"LUFFY! Stop right where you are!" Garp yelled down at his grandson. His power cracked the pillar slightly. Monkey D Garp was the only obstacle in Luffy's way. Neel crouched to the ground, trying to shake his head out of nausea. Luffy didn't notice that his friend had stopped running.

" GRANDPA! PLEASE GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Luffy yelled at Garp. The marine seethed anger even more.

" I AM A VICE ADMIRAL OF THE MARINES! I have hunted pirates before you were born. Because of the path you have chosen, you are my enemy, Strawhat Luffy!" Garp bellowed at his grandson. Neel sped forward but stumbled even more. He wa shaking to much from the overflow of memories. He remembered it all in that moment. Every punch, every kick, every drop of blood, every tear of laughter... It all came crashing down on Neel's head.

" I CAN'T DO IT!"

" THEN ACE WILL DIE!"

"NEVER!"

Garp reeled his fist back, using all his Haki avaible. Luffy slid across the floor, activating gear second. Neel shouted out to Luffy in a jumble of words. Garp was going to smash his head open with his strength. He had to move! Neel looked up in horror as he watched Luffy approach Garp,but he widened his eyes even more when he saw the flicker of emotion hamper Garp's focus.

He saw Garp widen his eyes in shock. A tug on his beard. The bubbly laughter of his grandsons. A happy memory. Neel saw all of these things across Garp's face. After a second, Garp closed his eys and braced himself. Luffy screamed and punched Garp in the jaw, pushing him of the pillar to the ground. Neel wathed Garp. The marine opened his eyes and mouthed something to Neel.

_Please..._

Neel gritted his teeth and ran after Luffy. He blinked away another tear as he watched Garp fall to the ground. He had no idea Luffy was his grandson. It was all so coincidental. The knight ignored his thoughts and surged forward, catching up with Luffy. Neel looked up to try and find Sengoku, he wasn't there. A bad feeling crept up in his stomach.

" Ace!" Luffy cheeered happily as he tried to get Ace's shackles off.

" You idiot! Get out of here!" Ace screamed at him. Neel could do nothing but study Ace. Another faint memory came to his head.

_Rouge..._

The familiar woman came into his head. Ace had the the same freckles as her. Neel wondered what his father looked like, but nothing came up when he thought of Roger.

A shadow loomed over them. Neel's eyes widened tremendously. He quickly pushed Luffy and Ace away and braced himself.

Sengoku the Buddha crashed through the execution stand with all his might. Neel's armor shattered into pieces. He coughed up blood as he feel to the ground. He opened one eye to see Luffy freeing his brother. Luffy reached out to get him as well. But it was to late.

The Dark Knight had fallen to the ground.


	9. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I don't own one piece.**

**Well, here I am, finally. A certain anon asked me what theme Neel would have if he was in one piece. That's a hard question, actually. I think he would have multiple themes. One happy side and one troubled side and one wistful side. My guess would be the "Lullaby of Resembool" from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. He would have a pretty orchestral theme if I were to choose.**

**In any case, on with the chapter!**

* * *

_With the power of many in hand,_

_he challenged the strongest to a fight_

_- Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Goodbye**

Neel crashed into the plaza in an explosion of dust. His armor was broken to the point of useless. He was bleeding badly and fast. He looked to the left and right of him. Luffy and Ace were running away as fat as they could. The Whitebeard Pirates were now ecstatic. They were close to victory! Cannon fire whizzed past him. A haze of bullets streaked past him. He tried to move, but he was too injured.

**Neel's POV**

Ow. That's all I could think of when I crashed into the ground. At least Luffy and Ace were getting away. I frowned heavily as the Dark Knight's words came back to me.

_The boy is destined to die. I can change his death, but at a great price._

It looked as if he was wrong. Everything was going perfectly. I propped myself up on my elbows and looked at my wounds. Luckily for me, the armor protected me from most of the damage. I threw away the broken pieces of my body. I wonder if it will still work after this. I dragged myself up the crater I created and surveyed my surroundings. Dust surrounded the air, so my vision was obscured. I crawled my way to the safety of the pirates. My eyes were getting very heavy, so I shook my head to get my senses in check. Using Ultima, I stood up and limped my way to the other side. Even though Ace was freed, the war was still going on. My ears were going deaf from the cacophony of the cannons. I swished away the smoke with my hands and I saw Luffy and Ace, finally. However, my relief faded when I saw Akainu coming from behind them.

" That's right! Run away! Whitebeard is just a loser from the last era!" Akainu snarled at the pirates. I gritted my teeth in anger. I saw Ace stop running and stand still. Luffy was saying something to him, probably trying to get him to move. I widened my eyes in disbelief. Akainu was intentionally provoking Ace!

" DON'T DO IT! ACE!" I choked out, heart racing a million miles per hour. Ace couldn't hear my words as he turned defiantly towards Akainu. I widened my eyes as a different man with a moustache came into view. His cheeky grin was plastered on his face.

_Roger..._

I shook my head to let the thoughts of nostalgia out of my head. The form of my old captain disappeared and what was left was the angry face of Ace. I stretched out a hand trying to grab his attention.

" DON'T CALL MY FATHER A LOSER! THE NAME OF THIS ERA SHOULD BE CALLED " WHITEBEARD"!" Ace yelled as he ran towards Akainu with flame powers. They met in a clash of blows, but Akainu was clearly winning. Akainu was simply more experienced in haki or whatever it was called. I overheard the Phoenix guy say something about that mysterious power. I tried with all my heart to get up, but Sengoku really did a number on me. Akainu's eyes shifted from Ace to Luffy and he smirked evilly.

" Let's see how well your brother fares against me!" Akainu sneered appearing behind Luffy. The rubber captain had dropped a small paper on the ground. He bent down to pick it up, unaware of the danger right behind him. I yelled with all my might as Akainu's fist came down on Luffy. I rushed over between Luffy and Akainu and spread my arms out to protect him. But Ace got there first. He stood in front of me facing away from the fist of magma. In the the second the ordeal happened, he whispered something in my ear.

" You were on my bastard father's crew, weren't you? Well here is your last and last order. Protect Luffy for me, Dark Knight. I wish we had met at better times."

And with that, the magma fist pierced Ace's body.

I reeled to the side as the magma fist came close to burning me. I stared open-mouthed at the pained expression of Ace. The fist burned his insides into pirates around us screamed in disdain. Edward was the one who looked the worst. He crouched down, tears falling from his face. Unconsciously, my hand stretched out, hopelessly trying to grab something that wasn't there. Luffy's eyes were bulged out in horror. He was struggling to find the words to say.

The Dark Knight's harsh words came back to me. I knew Ace was going to die, but I didn't know it was going to be like this! This was the most gruesome death I had ever seen since my awakening.

" A-Ace..." Luffy murmured coarsely. Akainu sneered in spite.

" It appears he is still alive." Akainu said, raising his fist.

" Sto-Stop it!" Luffy choked out. I was speechless.

Before he could strike again, Jinbei appeared and blocked his magma fist with a punch of his own. The Fishman panted heavily.

" I won't let dishonor Ace anymore!" Jinbei yelled out. Akainu flew back a few feet,but the damage on Jinbei had taken its toll. His hand was burned from the attack. Ace crumpled to the floor in Luffy's arms.

" I'm... Sorry..." Ace murmured.

" Some-Someone get a doctor! Please!" Luffy yelled out frantically, speaking to no one in general. He turned to Ivankov, who had a very sad expression.

" Hey! Iva-chan! Give him the hormones!" Luffy asked him. The queen looked down in despair. It was no use. Ace was beyond repair.

" You know... Luffy..." Ace whispered out weakly. Luffy immediately turned to his dying brother.

" If it wasn't for you and that whole deal with Sabo, I would have never made it this far... Give Dadan my regards... if you see her again..." Ace whispered again, talking about something personal. I crawled towards the two, staring at them both. Ace turned his head to me.

" I'm...counting on you..." Ace murmured to me. I squeezed my gauntlet in pain. The flame man turned back to his brother.

" I once... Thought I wasn't meant to be alive...but after seeing you... the Old man... All of my friends... And the Dark Knight himself... I can't help but think... THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME!" Ace wailed out before falling to the ground, dead.

Everyone was crying out loud. I got up and clutched my face with my palm. Edward got up crouched low with tears, picking up the red orb from Ace's necklace. Luffy's eyes turned white and he screamed at the sky, as if telling the gods to give his older brother back. It was horrific. Edward and I glanced at each other with grim expressions and nodded. That magma bastard wasn't getting away with this, ever.

Akainu swatted away the pirates away with a flick of his hands. I appeared in front of him, my silent rage echoing out to the world. I gripped Ultima in hammer form. Despite my injuries, I didn't care about any of it. This bastard was getting punished. Akainu spotted me and sneered at me.

" So you want more? Come and-" He stopped when he realized a shadow had enveloped over him. He widened his eyes and turned around slowly. Edward, his haki bursting out of him full-throttle, stood daunting over Akainu. The magma bastard didn't even have time to react as the full power of the Tremor-Tremor fruit crashed on his head. Akainu's body was firmly implanted into the ground. If he had been a normal human, the bones in his body would have all broken to rubble. I jumped towards Akainu and slammed my hammer into his stomach. Akainu coughed up blood and flew back a few feet, landing on his feet. He raised his magma fist and fired magma balls at Edward. I dodged and weaved through the magma shots while Edward walked forward, tanking all th damage. His beard was burned in two by one of the balls. The admiral roared and jumped at Edward, punching him right in the stomach. After a few seconds, the Yonkou merely laughed and grabbed Akainu by the collar. I raised Ultima in the air, the darkness enveloping it with power. Edward uppercutted Akainu in the jaw with haki, and he took his famous stance. Akainu flew into the sky, eventually falling back down. I gripped Ultima viciously, with all the emotion I could muster.

I thought about how Ace's life was like and how hard it must have been. I thought about th pirates, who would never see their brother again. I thought about how Luffy's crew would react from his brother dying. I thought about the prejudice of the world. I finally thought about the broken form of Luffy. As Akainu fell from the sky, Edward and I roared and attacked with all out might. A concentrated ball of force erupted Akainu's body, cracking the very sky around us. Akainu flew at the speed of sound towards Marineford and crashed into the wall, mouth gaping with shock and pain. Pain erupted my arm and I crouched low, panting heavily. However, Edward was coughing erratically.

" Edward! Are you alright! No... Not here! You can't die here! There's so much I have to know!" I said, holding the old man up with my arms.

" There is no way my sons can escape this place... We are too outnumbered..." Edward croaked out. I looked around us and noticed how defeated we were. All of the pirates except the commanders were fleeing away. Even though Ace was dead, the marines wouldn't let them go. This wasn't justice anymore. This was murder.

" It looks as if... I might die here too..." I murmured, clutching my chest.

Suddenly a very sinister laugh erupted the air. The marines all jumped at the sound. It was coming from the town on the island. The silhouettes of a group of people were present in the fog. I gaped in shock at the power of them. When the fog cleared, I saw a very fat and hairy man with a black beard emerge, smirking devilishly. All the pirates were seething in anger. Something told me this is the man Luffy met in Marineford.

" Your looking bad, old man! I'm afraid this is where you die." Blackbeard sneered at Edward. He was going to attack us in out weakest state? I struggled to raise my weapon up.

" Teach! What are you doing here?" Edward asked , standing up.

" You sure are deaf old man. I said you going to die!" Blackbeard laughed. His crewmates laughed with him. He didn't even acknowledge my presence.

" He isn't that strong... We can beat him..." I whispered. Edward looked at me with a grim expression.

" We can't... Not with the navy around us... I have no choice... Neel... Whatever you do, make sure the Strawhat kid lives..." Edward said, picking me up by my feet. I struggled to get out of his giant hands.

" Let go of me! I can fight!" I protested in anger. Edward only sighed.

" I am going to create a crevice using my power... I will throw you over it and you make sure everyone gets out of here..." Edward murmured, facing the evil Blackbeard.

" No! You can't! I can't lose another friend!" I argued again. I knew it was hopeless, for this was the only way everyone could survive. I jumped down from his grasp and faces away from him, back-to-back. I calmed down after a few seconds.

" Neel... I'm sorry we met like this... It was a pleasure meeting you again... I'll give Roger my regards in hell... Goodbye, Raneus D Neel..." Edward said to me. I chuckled a little and wiped away a tear on my eyes.

" Give them hell, ok? And try your best. I'll make sure everyone gets out of here... Goodbye... Edward Newgate..." I replied back to him. With that, I jumped towards the commanders with a grim expression. Edward smashed the ground with his nose to and split a crevice with his powers. The commanders cried out to him.

" YOU GUYS! THIS IS MY FINAL CAPTAINS ORDER! DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO ESCAPE! BE BRAVE MY SONS!" Edward bellowed out, facing away from them. The whole crew bit back sobs. Marco flew towards me with his power and yelled at me.

" Why didn't you save him?"

I walked past him and pressed the button on my gauntlet, my dark armor attaching to my body with a low click. Marco went silent at me, but ordered everyone to leave.

I put on my mask, to hide the tears that fell so freely down my face.


	10. On The Brink Of Insanity

**Dead other authors, you know that moment when you make the smallest mistake in your writing and it ticks you off for doing something so stupid? Yeah, that was me. I put this story in a new format because I like the way it looks this way. Tell me if you want it the other way instead. In any case, on to the tenth chapter!**

* * *

_His mind jagged and clouded,_

_his fists hardened and clenched,_

_he thwarted them all._

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**On the Brink of Insanity**

Neel and the pirates bounded across the plaza. Jinbei carried Luffy closely to his chest, running along with them. The commanders had chosen to stay with their old captain. Neel couldn't argue with them. All he could think about was what the Dark Knight said from before.

_You will lose something as well._

It had been something like that, more or less. He couldn't exactly focus on what was going on with the slaughter that was happening around them. Neel glanced at his fallen captain, and scowled. He would hate the job of having to explain what happened here. This war was just a total failure. Ace had died and now...

An eruption echoed across the plaza. Neel whirled around to spot Akainu diving through the crowd of pirates, straight towards them.

"GIVE ME THE SON OF DRAGON!"

The Knight summoned Ultima from the depths of his mind and fired several shots at Akainu. They simply passed through his body of course.

"What was that supposed to do?" Akainu laughed, speeding towards them.

Neel grinned evilly, and snapped his fingers. Akainu's eyes went wide, before slumping over.

"What did- WHat did you do?" Akainu screeched, clutching his chest in pain.

"YOU SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING, YOU MAGMA BASTARD! The Ultima weapon can change into any weapon I want. What I fired into you were bullets encasing dry ice! YOUR INSIDES ARE FROZEN BY THE COLDEST ICE ON THE PLANET!" Neel screamed back at the admiral, smirking. The pirates gawked in amazement. Jinbei was most impressed.

_He's only had that weapon for a small amount of time and he's already figured out how to change it into different weapons. When dry ice is exposed into the atmosphere, it super cools and becomes a deadly freezing tool. It won't kill Akainu, but it will slow him down!_

With the opportunity, the pirates bounded across the plaza once more, towards a navy ship. Just as they were about to get on, the ship exploded and Kizaru appeared in front of them. The pirates cringed in fear.

" You aren't getting away, ya know?" Kizaru sighed while exploding the pirates with his lasers. Neel confronted the admiral and fired his gun at him, but the bullets went right through. Kizaru raised one finger and fired it at the Knight, engulfing him in the explosion. The pirates were about to cry out, but the laser immediately came out of the dust and struck Kizaru in the leg, tripping him onto his back. The admiral quickly recovered to glare at the Knight. Jinbei was stunned as Neel held up a giant sword made of glass.

_He changed the Ultima into a giant sword to act as a mirror. Since the Ultima can only transform into weapons, he had to outsmart it! He really does live up to his name!_

Kizaru scoffed and dusted his pants. He sighed again and quickly sped towards Neel. The Knight raised his arms to block the kick of light. A giant burst of wind kicked him of his feet and back a few feet. He looked up to notice Marco had blocked Kizaru with his Pheonix powers. Marco rallied his men to him.

" Neel! Go help Pops ! We can take care of this guy! We aren't going to let them kill Ace's little brother!" Marco ordered Neel. The knight smiled and looked at Jinbei.

" Take Luffy to safety. I'm going to go save Edward." Neel told the fish man before dashing off into the direction of the smoke. Jinbei stared at the back of the knight for a few seconds, and then ran away.

Dust covered the Marine HQ. Neel blew away the fog by slashing the air. The sounds of war echoed around him. If he hadn't been so used to it, he would have surely gone insane. A pile of bodies were on his left and right. He focused on getting to Edward.

Suddenly, an earthquake erupted the ground beneath him. He cursed under his breath and quickly jumped in the air. His eyes immediately widened.

Blackbeard and his crewmates had managed to injure the old man badly. Neel was about to dash over there, but something inside him burned. The gauntlet on his right arm glowed brightly and tightened around his wrist, causing him to fall to the ground.

" GAHHAHAGHH!" Neel screamed as the gauntlet brightened even more. It all came crashing down on his head. His brain was experiencing so many emotions. All the faces of the marines he had killed in the war flashed through his brain in repeated glances. The screams of pirates echoed into his cranium. Neel through Ultima 3 feet away from and it embedded itself into the ground. The knight fell flat on his back as he writhed in pain.

_What the-What the hell is happening to me?_

It was as if all the information in the entire world had entered and left his head rapidly. He arched his back as he struggled against the mind-numbing pain. Neel knew crying out wouldn't help here, for he was alone. He peeked one eye open painfully to see Edward standing 4 feet away from him. The Blackbeard pirates cocked their pistols and aimed at him. Neel stretched out a hand using all his willpower. His mind was exploding and reconstructing itself rapidly. Then finally, it came clear.

All of it. Neel saw every single answer to every single question ever in a matter of one second. He had it all in his head. He gaped his mouth open as every single question that he had hoped to ask and ever ask was answered in an instant. He saw so many things in his eyes. He saw his birthday, his age, when he was going to die, who he was going to kill, what he was going to do, how he was going to do it, and why he was going to do it. An image emerged from the banks of his memory. A bunch of laughing faces, all cheering for some reason. Another image came up. A woman with white hair stood among the flames of his memories. Her features were blurred, but he could already tell she was beautiful. Suddenly, the world collapsed around him, and everything came into place. Neel stood ominously up, and his mind now was no longer under his control.

The marines surrounded Neel as he had this realization. They pointed all their guns at him. Aokiji stood directly in front of Neel, wondering what was going on. The corner of Neel's mouth curved up in a smirk, the most all-knowing smirk in the world. The knight screamed the garble of words that had formed in his head.

" IT'S THERE! IT WAS RIGHT THERE ALL ALONG. HE WAS RIGHT! THE WORLD'S LIGHT! IT'S _OVERTHERE_!" Neel shouted to everyone. The marines were very confused at the pirates nonsense words. Aokiji had a very shocked look on his face.

" You... How did you...?" Aokiji stuttered out in an uncharacteristic way. The soldiers had never seen their leader so suprised. Neel sat crisscross on the ground and his smile grew wider and more deceptive. Sengoku saw from his place the look in his old enemy's eyes. It was an exact replica of the last time he saw him. Blackbeard and Whitebeard watched Neel as his smile grew wider and wider. Whitebeard was reminded of Roger at his execution for a second.

" I SAW IT ,AOKIJI! I SAW THE TRUTH! I SAW WHAT _THEY_ DID 900 YEARS AGO! BUT DON'T YOU WORRY! I WON'T EVEN HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER TO STOP _THEM! BECAUSE HE WILL!" _Neel laughed out to the world. Everyone was so confused at his words. They had no idea what he was talking about. Suddenly, another earthquake erupted the air, and Neel was instantly snapped out of his trance. His mind had simply reconstructed again. What was even stranger is he couldn't recall a single thing he had seen. He flew back a few feet as the marines around him were all thrown into chaotic directions.

Neel grounded himself into the ground and looked up to see Edward standing in front of him. Blackbeard and all of his crewmates cornered him again with their pistols. Neel tried to speak, but it was too late.

The Blackbeard pirates fired ruthlessly at Whitebeard. The pistol fire split the air with the repeated bullets. Edward grunted in pain as he took wave after wave of bullets. Neel's mouth went wide in shock as he was helpless to stop them. Blackbeard laughed out in carnage as the bullets ripped through Whitebeard's chest. Edward stood numb, taking all the pain at once. Neel was speechless with wide eyes.

" Pops!" Marco screamed as he flew over. The Whitebeard pirates all cried heavy tears as their father stood tall.

The bullets stopped after a few second, and Blackbeard threw his pistol away in disgust.

" Hey! Someone give me another gun!"

" There's no need, Whitebeard will probably fall over if you so much as to-"

" It's not you, Teach." Edward coughed. The Blackbeard pirates all gasped in fear.

" How can you still be aliv-"

" It will never be you." Edward coughed again, his eyes staring straight ahead. Neel's heart heated painfully fast. His head was getting heavy...

" You are not the one Roger is waiting for. I have traveled far and wide. I have seen a lot of things... My sons... Please live on... It was a good journey." Edward stuttered out. The marines all paused as the great pirate was undoubtedly speaking his last words. The Whitebeard pirates erupted into tears.

" All you navy brats, you all are shaking in your boots, aren't you?" Edward coughed out with a smile. His body wouldn't function much longer.

" I no longer have to worry, now that the man behind me has come back. He will vary the right man to the end... I know of it... There is a tale of long ago, Sengoku..." Edward mocked the Fleet admiral. Sengoku had finally shown his shock.

" As soon as someone finds... That great treasure... THE WORLD WILL BE THROWN INTO CHAOS...someone who will carry all those decades of history on his back...will challenge the world to a fight!" Edward stated boldly, his breath growing uneven. The Dark Knight now resembled a hollow corpse, standing their motionless, eyes shielded.

Edward thought back to simpler times, and to better times. He thought of the long, hardened journey he had taken. He thought of his old friend, Roger. If he could look back and see his other friend, he would. His breath was growing slow, and he knew what to say.

" **ONE PIECE... IS REAL!**" Whitebeard bellowed for the entire world to hear. With that final note, and a smile on his face, he closed his eyes, still standing. The marines were all shocked beyond hope. The truth was revealed to the entire world. Blackbeard chuckled at first then, laughed out as he mocked at the frozen form of the Dark Knight. His arm was still outstretched, and he looked like quite the statue.

" Let's begin!" Blackbeard ordered his men. The pirates all grinned evilly, and put a black tarp over the bodies of their captain and enemy. The Whitebeard pirates and the marines were confused at what was going on. After a few seconds, the Blackbeard pirates threw the tarp off, revealing a very same scene as before. Noting had changed ame everyone was confused. Blackbeard laughed out.

" I finally have it! Behold my power!" Blackbeard yelled out, making a stance. Marco gasped as he realized what he was doing.

" No... No way!" Marco breathed out. The Whitebeard pirates were all deadly scared now. Blackbeard made the same stance as their father once did.

Blackbeard smashed his fist to the right, and cracks appeared through the air, and every marine to the right was flown in random directions from the earthquake produced by Blackbeard. Neel had not budged one inch from his spot. The pirates and marines all quaked in fear as they saw Blackbeard approached Neel, the knight still unmoving. Buggy screamed from the sidelines.

" MASTER, GET OUT OF THERE!"

Teaxh paid no attention to the low bounty pirate and eyed Neel as if he was a figurine. He smiled crookedly. He raised his fist right in Neel's face. The knight made no ch age in his form.

" Let this be the end of the last era, and the start of _my_ era!" Blackbeard laughed out as he erupted and earthquake right into Neel's face. The ground exploded into bits and pieces. The pirates gasped in fear as the Dark Knight disappeared forever. The pirates and a few marines burst out crying. Sengoku had to clench his nose harshly to hold back. Garo didn't even care for a second. His tears streamed freely down his cheeks.

" What a weakling! HaHahahaha!" Black ears cried out. His crewmates joined him in the laughter.

Suddenly, a very, very, VERY, sinister chuckle came from the dust filled area. The sky turned black suddenly as the wind blew around them. Garp was wide-eyed as he gave Sengoku one look. It was _him_.Sengoku was of equal shock. This wasn't any normal fear, because this was complete and utter fear.

" EVERY SINGLE MARINE EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO BLACKBEARD, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THERE AND RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! AND DON'T LOOK BACK EVEN ONCE!" Sengoku and Garp ordered at the top of their lungs. Another sinister chuckle came from the dust, weaving and clearing through the air. The marines all turned and ran as far as they could, screaming like little babies. Aokiji watched from above, while Kizaru stopped fighting Marco, and Akainu glanced up. What emerged from that smoke, was something the world had never hoped to see again. A man, clad in white elegant armor, emerged from the dust. The armor was almost identical to the Dark Knight's armor, except the horns had now been traded in with halo rings. Instead of a bloodied cape, this knight had a gray cape, that strangely blended in with his white Blackbeard pirates were all frozen in shock.

" Who. Who are-"

The Knight stretched a hand to the right. About three feet away, the Ultima changed it's form midair into a very long scythe. The scythe flew into the Knight's hands, and in one quick slash of the weapon, the ground split in two. The slash produced a shockwave that would have cut through Blackbeard like he was fruit if he hadn't dodged it.

Then they saw it. Everyone saw it. This man was no ally. He was no ally to anyone. They knew it immediately when they stared into his face. What was more surprising is that it was none other Raneus D Neel. However, something was very wrong with him . All of the Blackbeard pirates fell to the ground in mindless terror. The knight held a constant hold on his power.

" _How long has it been? I don't know, maybe 22 years?" _Neel said. Instead of his nightmarish voice, his voice was now as clear as an angel. It didn't change anything for anyone one bit. Neel clutched his face in his hands and eyed at Blackbeard through the openings.

" So you're the one who wants to become king? Don't me laugh! Actually yes please make me laugh!" Neel laughed out, very unlike him. His voice cackled and shifted, inspiring terror into the hearts of the men around him. Neel glanced at the soldiers around him and smiled.

" Oh, look what you brought me, Sengo-chan. A bloodbath of humans! Hyahayaha!" Neel cried out hysterically. Sengoku didn't even care for the nickname, because now every single one of his men was now in serious danger. Neel bent down low and pointed his scythe at his enemies. He finally revealed his eyes, who were no longer sharp black.

His eyes were a crazy color of white and his pupils were dilated in freakish sizes. A very malicious and sadistic grin, even more psychotic than Buggys, was etched into Neel's face. He chuckled in a high pitch tone that almost broke everyone's ears. It was so clear now why no one ever talked about this form of Neel. The whole world understood at the Marines kept this a secret. This knight was no longer human. He was an enemy of humanity itself.

Raneus D Neel had officially fallen into the depths of the madness of the Light Knight.


	11. The Light In The Flask

**I bet you didn't expect that the light knight would be insane! This chapter is dedicated to my recently watched anime, Fullmetal Alchemist. You will understand when you read it! :D Anyways, on to the next chapter!**

* * *

_Hope..._

_Pray..._

_Fear...almighty..._

_-Tales of the Light Knight(Obliterated by Pirate King Gol D. Roger and World Government)_

* * *

**The Light in the Flask**

Neel woke up abruptly, fully clothed, and uninjured in a white world. Yes, everything was blank. He got up and rubbed his back. He tried to call Ultima into his hands, but it didn't come.

" Hello?" Neel called out. His voice echoed for what seemed ages. He walked forward, trying to find something. He noticed his hands were cold so he rubbed them. His eyebrows scrunched up harshly at the memory of Edward dying. He crouched down and panted heavily. It was wearing him down. He had enough of the war. He just wanted to...

_Yeah right, I have no home._

"_ Not yet, you don't._" A voice called put behind him. Neel jumped up in shock and whirled around to meet a ball of light. A simple wooden stand and a ball of light, stuck in a bottle. The ball floated gracefully inside its case. Neel was even more confused than before.

"_ Why, it's been ages, my friend. You've finally decided to let me have some fun." _The ball chided jokingly. Neel noticed the ball had no mouth. He got a very sickening feeling from all of this.

" Who-What are you?" Neel asked, bewildered. The ball finally revealed its devilish face. Neel's heart dropped into his stomach as he studied the ball. It was certainly, most definitely, not good.

" _Why, I am called many names, but you may call me The Light In The Flask. The pleasure is mine." _The Light said_. _Neel recalled something the Dark Knight said.

_You have another power inside of you, The Light Knight._

" You're the Light Knight, aren't you?" Neel inquired. The ball frowned immediately. It sighed and looked around lackadaisically.

" _Yeah, that was me, before that blasted human trapped me in here._"The ball responded, agitated. Neel was very suspicious of this light. He was the light knight, that was true...but why was he imprisoned here. The ball was trying to grab his attention to something... Neel's heart stopped immediately.

" What did you do?" Neel demanded, realizing the light's tricks.

" Aw, now I have to show you what's happening." The light pouted. The light produced a hand from nowhere and snapped his fingers, revealing a screen in front of Neel's face. His heart stopped at the horrific scene.

* * *

The knight was killing marines and pirates left and right. He laughed insanely as he cut the soldiers in clean halves. His Ultima scythe was coated in blood as it killed everything in sight. It was a massacre of everyone. It didn't make a difference to him. The commanders ran in fear.

" MORE! MORE~!" The Knight sang out, his face consorting into a weird grin.

A marine captain scrambled back in fear. He accidentally backed up into Akainu and shrieked again. Akainu gave the captain one glance, and the captain fainted. Garp jumped right next to the admiral.

" Garp, who is that man?" Akainu stated dully. Garp seethed anger at the knight.

" That is the Light Knight. A horror this world should have never seen again. The government decided to erase all files and records of him ever existing. We could never, ever catch him. The only person to ever beat him was Roger himself. Damnit! I thought that _thing _was dead!" Garp explained, clenching his fists.

Blackbeard approached the knight with a cocky smirk. The marines all gasped his utter foolishness. The fat man stretched his arms out.

" Who the hell do you think you are, stealing my show! GIHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard taunted. The knight glanced back with a weird whine of psychoyic excitement.. He dropped the scythe on his shoulder.

" You're that guy that killed that bastard Edward Newgate! I commend you for that! Isn't death a wonderful thing?" The knight sighed, pricking his finger and sucking on the ... white blood. Blackbeard shifted uneasily, seeing the weird blood.

" Who , What are you?" Blackbeard asked, disgusted. He raised a hand above his head, empowering it with his earthquake powers. The Knight noticed it and started to chuckle maniacally, shaking in place.**(A/N Sort of like how Maka went insane in Soul eater)**

" DIE!" Blackbeard bellowed, smashing his fist right in front of him.

But the Knight was faster.

The insane knight caught the earthquake in his hands, smirking devilishly at the shock that erupted from the power. The eathquake sent Blackbeard flying back a few feet and landed on his feet. He looked pathetic, crying his eyes out.

" Ouch! How are you alive? No matter, try to dodge this! GIHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed out, throwing a black hole at the knight.

The knight yawned and simply slashed the black hole in half. It disapated and stopped. The Blackbeard pirates all cringed in fear. Blackbeard had no idea what to do now. Jinbei took in some satisfaction, seeing Balckbeard's power fail right before his eyes. He was more concerned about Luffy. Neel would be even more angry if Luffy didn't make it out.

The knight laughed out in victory. Then, Sengoku and Garp jumped down, to fight the enemy of humanity.

* * *

" **GIVE ME MY BODY BACK NOW, YOU BASTARD**!" Neel screamed at the light, shaking it in its container. It was unaffected by all the damage.

" _Your body is mine, now that Roger is dead! Only he knew my real name!_" The light sneered back. Neel stopped shaking the bottle and glared at the light. Real name? What the hell was he talking about? The light noticed his confusion and sighed.

"_ I guess I should provide and explanation. To put it simply, you are from the void century. _" The light said. Neel cringed back. He remembered the void century was the lost history 900 years ago, where all history of it was lost.

" That's not possible!" Neel retorted back. He suddenly recalled another saying of the Dark Knight.

_Your history stretches far into the void._

_" Ah yes, you may think that your last life with Roger was all that was about you? Let me make it even more simple for you. You are immortal. Technically." _The light said. Neel scratched his chest. _Immortal? _

" That... can't be..." Neel faltered.

" But it is." A voice behind him said. The light in the flask seethed in terror. Neel whirled around to see the Dark Knight himself.

" I thought you died!" Neel pointed at him. The Knight sighed.

" I meant that I could only help you one more time in the physical world. In any case, I see you have met my brother." The knight said. The light pounded against his prison.

" _DAMN YOU!_" The light wailed out. Neel backed up at his fierceness. The Knight chuckled and turned to Neel.

" I think you need an explanation. Just as my brother said, you are immortal." The knight said. Neel was at a loss for words.

" However, not in the way that you think you are. I once told you which knight you were. What number was it?" The Knight asked.

" I think you said seven, or something like that..." Neel said, scratching his chin.

" If I am the seventh, then you are the eighth Dark Knight." The Knight said.

" What does that even mean?" Neel asked.

" It means you are the eighth reincarnation of all Knights. Welcome to the club." The Knight chided humorlessly. The light sighed again.

" So, I'm... Immortal... Wow..." Neel gulped down. The knight chuckled.

" I was just like you when I first learned about it myself. There is something that you should know about the Dark Knight. His real name." The Knight said, getting serious again. Neel was confused.

" Remember this, young knight, names have power. The name of the Dark Knight is a sacred word. You must say it directly to the king, and no one else. You must explain it to him how important this is. With that name, he can influence every single action you take." The Knight explained. Neel sort of understood it, but something was bothering him.

" If all of his is true, then why would it work on me?" Neel asked. The Knight's eyes faltered slightly.

" Ah yes... I must tell you the consequence of having our powers. Neel... the Dark Knights throughout history have all earned their right to be famous and powerful. However , all knights... They lose their will." The Knight said sadly.

" What?" Neel said in shock. The Light In The Flask decided to speak up.

" Haven't you noticed all your actions have been influenced by someone else?" The light asked. Neel tried not to believe it...but it was true. The only reason he went to Marineford was because Luffy told him to. Neel had the sinking feeling it was true.

" Think of it like this. Most humans have one soul right? Well, you have three. Me, my brother and you. All different names." The Knight explained.

" So what you're saying is... I'm schizophrenic." Neel stated blankly.

" _Pretty much_." The light quipped. Neel pinched his nose and sighed.

" Can I ever get a break?" Neel complained.

"_ I guess It wouldn't be a good idea to also say your ADHD._" The Light mused cheekily.

Neel groaned loudly.

" I also must explain something else to you. My power, the power of darkness, gives you the power to use advanced armament haki. I assume you already know what that is right?" The Knight explained. Neel nodded, because he had figured it out when Marco exclaimed about his powers.

" Sinply put, your haki is three times as powerful as a normal humans, because you have three souls. However, only one soul can control the body functions. You have been in control, up until now that is. I have advanced armament haki, and as you can see, it lets you and me use armament on anything, including the air. The humans must have nicknamed us after that, because they saw how it looked like the haki was darkness. You have advanced observation must figure out a way to regain your body from my brother." The Knight explained. Neel could understand how he had advanced observation haki. He remembered when he first woke up on Amazon Lily, of how he mabaged to figure out there was another man on the island, simply by noticing how Maguerite talked.

" Wait so, what does the Light Knight have?" Neel asked. The Knight grimaced slightly.

" Advanced Conquerer's Haki. It lets him expose the fears of others, crushing their will. Unfortunately, he's the strongest of the three. That's also the reason he is stuck in the flask. It blocks his power." The Knight explained.

Neel finally learned about how his powers worked and what they did. He sighed in victory, but quickly darted his eyes to the light.

" How do I get out of here?" Neel asked. The Light pouted again, but then smiled evilly.

" _To regain your body, you must give something up. Otherwise, your precious body will be mine forever._" The Light said.

" What do you mean?" Neel asked.

" _Give me an arm, and in exchange,I will give you my arm. After that, you can do whatever you want._" The Light said. The knight stepped forward.

" Let me, Neel. I have no body, and he asked for an arm. I think that is fair." The Knight said smugly. The ball of light gasped in disbelief.

" _NO! I REFUSE!_" The light shrieked again. Neel closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought about how he had failed to save ace. He thought about the marines in that war that would never see their families again. He thought about the pirates who would ne'er hear their father or brother again. He thought about what the Dark Knight had told him.

_You will have to make the right choice._

And suddenly, he knew the answer.

" No." Neel said sternly. The Dark Knight stopped smiling. The Light stopped wailing.

" What do you mean?" The Knight asked.

" Light in the Flask, I ask you... Take anything you want from me!" Neel yelled.

* * *

**Who else guessed that Neel was from the void century? Thanks to everyone again for reviewing!**


	12. The Light's Demise

**Here we go! Chapter 12! I have so many wonderful things planned for his story! I'd like to thank all o the people who reviewed! I have 45 right now, and I love them all! On wih the chapter!**

* * *

_How does one save oneself from the brink of insanity?_

_It's simple._

_You adopt it._

_-Tales of the Light Knight(Obliterated by Pirate King Gol D Roger and World Government)_

* * *

**The Light's Demise**

" What exactly are you saying? Do you realize what you are asking?" The Dark Knight argued. Neel was silent in thought.

" _You want to give up something? You could very well just give up my brother's body. I never took you for an idiot, Raneus D Neel." _The Light In The Flask taunted. Neel turned towards the Knight.

" Listen, I know what I am doing. I don't want you sacrificing anything. I need your armor to fight for Luffy, don't I?" Neel said.

" Why? You don't have to give up anything! Even if I give up one of my parts, it can be easily replaced! However, your body can't be fixed! Your basically asking to give up one of your limbs permanently!" The Dark Knight argued angrily.

" There is still a lot of things you haven't told me, you know. I don't get this whole "3 souls" business, nor this Immortality crap, nor why I have to give up something to get out of my mind, but I have to protect Luffy! It's bad enough that I couldn't save Ace and Edward! And I need your powers to be strong." Neel replied back calmly. The Light in the Flask chuckled maliciously.

" _Very well, I shall be taking your-"_

"No, I want to decide what we trade." Neel smirked. The Light had a confused expression.

"_You're even stupider than I thought, Raneus D Neel. My arms and legs are fragile and week. I would love to have any of your limbs." _The Light mused confidently.

"DON'T BE STUPID, YOU FOOLISH KNIGHT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE ANYTHING! FORGET WHAT I SAID EARLIER!" The Dark Knight pleaded desperately. Neel glanced at the Knight with a smile.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm going to do."Neel replied. He turned his head towards the Light with a very devilish smirk.

"_HAH! It seems you have failed, brother. Finally, It is my time to-"_

" I want your eye." Neel asked seriously. The Dark Knight's jaw dropped in shock. The Light shifted uneasily in its container.

"_Wh-What?_" The Light stammered nervously.

"You heard me. In exchange for my eye, I think I'll take your eye." Neel smirked in victory. The Light pointed one minuscule finger at him.

"_Yo-You wouldn't! You aren't that gusty to sacrifice your eye! You can't make that sacrifice! YOUR NOTHING BUT A WEAK AND COWARDLY HUMAN! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" _The Light screamed in a high pitch voice. Neel's face turned deadly serious.

"And you're nothing but a Light in a Flask. I pity you. You just don't get it all..." He replied firmly. The Dark Knight was at a loss for words.

_" WHY?" _The Light demanded. Neel ignored the outburst and glanced back at the Knight.

"Is it true what you said? That he has advanced Conqueror's haki?" Neel asked. The Knight nodded solemnly. Neel turned back towards the Light.

"If I give up my eye, your eye and your power will be mine, since the Conqueror's haki resonates from the eye. However, my advanced observation haki also comes from the eye. But there really isn't anything to use it on here, right ,_ Light in the Flask_?" Neel explained confidently. The Light had lost its confident attitude and screeched out a string of curses.

_"YOU WOULDN'T! YOU COULDN'T! YOU ARE JUST A HUMAN, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM! UNABLE TO GIVE UP EVEN THE SMALLEST THINGS! YOU'RE NOT BRAVE ENOUGH! THERE'S NO WAY!" _The Light wailed. It was so utterly scared that if it had a human body, he would be pissing himself right now. Neel turned towards the Knight.

"No Knight in history has chosen to sacrifice something of their own, not even myself. And they sure as hell never made my our brother that scared. I commend you, Raneus D Neel. You will lose the right to your eye forever. Before you go, I must tell you my real name. Come closer, I can't say it. I have to show it to you." The Knight praised. Neel stepped forward and came in front of the Knight.

" This name is sacred. Do not say it. Do not write it. You may only think it. You must say it once in the presence of the king. If you have given this name in any way, shape, or form, do not fear. It won't work if you don't have the intention of giving it. You will also experience the memory of how I died. Once you say this name to the king, he will also see it. I have forgotten the contents of the memory, so I don't know what happened. Once you say my name to the king, your fate shall be determined on your own. You will be set on the epic adventure to find the true name of the Light in the Flask. You will also be marked to show your quest. You may choose where you are marked. Do not worry, every knight has done this, as have I." The Knight explained. Neel nodded, but had one more question to ask.

" I understand, but you still have not answered one of my questions. Why won't this gauntlet come off me?" Neel asked, raising his arm with a pout. The Knight snickered a little, before regaining his seriousness again.

"That is essentially the key to switching out our souls. All knights have it. If you press the "Dark" button, our souls will be synced, and then you can use the advanced haki of the both of us. However, now your soul will have a part of the Light Knight's power, meaning you will be able to use the advanced Conqueror's haki. Be warned, young knight. I urge you not to use all three at the same time. The Light in the Flask can bring himself out, if you are in a fragile state, as you were when Whitebeard died. Overwhelming grief is a sure fire way to bring him out. The Light will do everything in it's power to take over. You may also experience insanity at times, but keep a vigil state, and you can do what. I could not. I also forgot to mention, sometimes your haki will let you see glimpses of the future." The Knight explained. Neel remembered about the visions he was in pain. Did that mean those things would eventually happen?

" Another question, why does the Ultima react to my powers?" Neel asked.

" My, My. No knight in history has asked so many questions! The Ultima is given to each and every knight. It amplifies your power so you can use it however you want. See, if you were to use a weapon besides Ultima and use Haki on it, it would automatically break from the pressure. The Ultima is the only weapon that can withstand continuous use of advanced armament haki. I noticed you are confused on how it appear and disappears from time to time. It is bonded to our souls, so it will follow you whereever you go. You can't lose it. That is also a reason why the Ultima is on par with the ancient weapons. It can transform into anything you desire. But before I tell you more, I must teach you a way to use the Ultima effectively. Tell me, what is the definition of a sword?"

Neel crossed one of his arms over his chest and rested the palm of his other hand on his cheek, in a pensive way. Why would he ask that?

" A sword is... a weapon that cuts and has a long blade, I guess." Neel answered pensively.

" What if I told you a sword was a long ranged weapon that shoots bullets?" The Knight asked rhetorically. Neel gave him a confused look.

"The world is all about definitions, young knight. The Ultima takes what you take for a weapon and changes it to your desire. So if you think of a sword as a gun, it will change into a gun. There is endless possibilities. For example, if you tried hard enough, you can change the Ultima into a motorcycle if you wanted to. All you have to do is make sure you 100% no doubt think that it is a weapon." The Knight explained roughly.

"That's...so...confusing..." Neel replied quietly.

"Just think, what if a gun was called a sword instead of a gun? Think about it. I shot someone with a sword. That doesn't make sense to the common person, now does it? However, if you were to convince yourself that a sword is a gun, you can change it into a gun. This law of definitions can be applied to everything. Back there, when you changed the bullets to dry ice to fight Admiral Akainu, that was a gun, except you changed the bullets. Also when you blocked Kizaru, you changed your sword into a gigantic mirror, except it was still a sword. So if you were to think of a motorcycle as a weapon, the Ultima will change into it." The Knight explained again. Neel had a mixture of confusion and doubt.

"I guess I kinda understand it. But that kind of thinking is... mind-blowing. How can anyone do that?" Neel sighed. The Knight glanced at Neel with a special look.

"Why, we did it in our last life. Remember?" The Knight joked. Neel's eyebrows narrowed and he glared at the knight.

"Oh shut up. I still don't get how all knights are the same, but they are not. How can you be me, but not be me, except you are me? Gah, this is hurting my head..."Neel complained, pinching his nose. The Knight laughed and settled down quickly.

"Last question, why did the gauntlet glow freakishly purple and hurt me back there?" Neel asked. The Knight gave Neel a saddened expression.

"Another rule of your powers, Neel. Do not leave your king to fate. If you do, the gauntlet will make you feel intense pain through visions of the past or the future. I'm assuming you saw something correct? You can't know if it is in the past or future. So don't think you are a fortune-teller or something. The things you see are inevitable. I recommend you don't leave your king unprotected." The Knight explained sadly. Neel lowered his head for a second, but then had a determined expression.

"Ok, tell me the name. I have no more questions." Neel said.

"Here. Rest your palm on my palm, and you will learn the name." The Knight said, raised his hand in a high-five position. Neel stared at his hand for a few seconds, and then high-fived the knight.

Then, a vision took over his senses.

* * *

_Neel peeked his eyes open to see a barren wasteland. There was not a tree in sight. He looked down and gasped. He had no legs, and instead had a tail that whipped around involuntarily._

_'Great, now I'm a ghost. As if anything else couldn't get more confusing...' Neel groaned inwardly._

_He studied the area around him and spotted a group of faceless pirates huddled around in one spot. It was as if the memory had cut off the less important parts. Neel had wanted to see the faces of his former nakama. He floated over there, and tried to touch one of the pirates. His hand went right through. He was about to complain, but then he noticed that the pirates were crying. He could see white drops fall from their blurred out faces, so he assumed they were tears. He walked forward and gasped at the scene. This was nothing he could have ever expected._

_"Is there...anything you can do, Rayleigh?" One silhouette said shakily.  
_

_"We were so close! Why did this have to happen?" One silhouette complained sadly._

_Neel widened his eyes when he saw a man with an actual face. However , it no ordinary man. A flood of memories flowed through Neel's head. _

_" Ra-Rayleigh..." Neel murmured sadly. His usually stoic friend was actually crying vividly. He was kneeling down on two knees, staring sadly at a figure on the ground. Neel stepped closer to get a closer look, until he realized he saw another face._

_It was himself, kneeling down, crying his lungs out. Neel was shocked as he saw himself in the memory. Past-Neel was identical to Present-Neel. Past-Neel had a very pained expression. He was murmuring something, over and over again. Present-Neel was confused. _

_' I thought this was a memory of my last life's death... so where is-' _

_The vision hit him like a truck. Present-Neel glanced down to see a very familiar face that flooded even more memories of nostalgia. The man wore a red captain's cloak and his eyes were closed. He had a very black moustache that covered half of his face. He was bleeding very badly, and he was at the point of death. Present-Neel had the name of the man on the tip of his tongue._

_"Why did you have to die, Roger?" Past-Neel yelled at the dying corpse._

_The name flooded his head in a series of flashing memories. This man was non-other than the Pirate King, his captain, his king,his friend, Gol D Roger. _

_Roger was breathing softly, for his mouth had stopped working. Present-Neel frowned deeply at the scene. He couldn't change what had already happened. His mind thought up a hundred more questions. _

_'If this is on Raftel, how did Roger live after this? He's dying right here! It doesn't make sense!' Neel thought sadly in head. _

_Suddenly, Past-Neel stopped crying. His eyes widened for a few seconds as he stared down at his hands, and then at the gauntlet. He breathed out a very desperate sigh. He clenched his fists, and had a small smile on his face. He, very shakily, got up. The rest of the pirate noticed. Rayleigh wiped a few tears away and stared at his friend._

_"Neel, what are you-"_

_"Step back a bit ,Rayleigh. I think I know how to fix this..." Past-Neel said. Rayleigh didn't have it in him to complain, so he got up and stepped back a bit. Past-Neel came forward and sat next to Roger. He rested his gauntlet hand on Roger's forehead and closed his eyes in concentration. After a few seconds, a bright light enveloped the scene._

_"No! NEEL! WAIT!" Rayleigh called out. Past-Neel opened his eyes and gave the man a very eerie smile._

_"Don't worry, I'm not going to die, **partner**." Past-Neel said. And with that, the vision turned white._

_Present-Neel found himself standing in a the very same spot in his mind, where he talked with the Light in the Flask. Past-Neel was silent as he approached the Light on the wooden table. The Light chuckled evilly, causing Present-Neel to scowl.  
_

_"I see you have come to save the king. What are you going to-"_

_"I'll give up this body, in exchange for the King's soul." Past-Neel said without a second of hesitation. Present-Neel watched helplessly as he watched the scene. He knew what was about to happen._

_"So sudden for sacrifice, brother. You never change. Very well, you will have to wait, my estimate, 20 years before you are reincarnated again. You do realize you will go through immense pain. I will grind your body into nothing. Your soul will be trapped inside the Dark armor for all eternity until you successfully say my name. I curse this flask. I have your name on the tip of my tongue, and it would do nothing." The Light chided insanely. Present-Neel couldn't believe it._

_"I have a request though. I wish for half of my soul to reside within Roger so I can explain to him what I did. This will be my last time in this body." Past-Neel pleaded. The Light contemplated this for a second, and then obliged._

_"Very well, brother. Your wish is my command. I have a question though. Even if Roger does live, he will just die again, because of his disease. Why is it so important that he lives? I want to know your answer." The Light asked. Past-Neel was about to open his mouth, but a vision exploded in his head. Present-Neel saw it as well._

_A strawhat. A bandana. A pinwheel. A long nose. A curly eyebrow. A blue nose. A Lily. A Metal body. A Skeleton. The images came in a continuous way, flooding his head.  
_

_'No way... It couldn't be...'Neel thought in head. _

_Past-Neel had a shocked expression, but then it turned into a very wide smile,and then he laughed loudly. The Light was dumbfounded._

_"What's so funny? I hope you're not suicidal." The Light mused negatively. Past-Neel was unaffected. He sat down on the ground and sat crisscross. An image of Roger's execution flickered in Neel's head for a second, seeing Past-Neel's silent state. _

_"Whatever, let's just get this over with."Past-Neel chuckled nonchalantly, eyes shielded._

_"Eager for death, huh? Curse your Will of the D. Whatever. I win this time. HAH! Even after seven tries, you still couldn't figure out my true name." The Light taunted._

_"I don't need to find it. Because he will. He's going to find the World's Light." Past-Neel said. The Light looked at him ridiculously._

_"How many times do I have to tell you, foolish brother. It doesn't exist! The World Government is just babbling-"_

_"I know it does. Those nobles are all scared in their boots because of it. The Truth. The True History. We found it on the island. It was quite the shocker to us. However, Roger isn't going to be the one to tell the world what really happened. Somewhere down the road, someone else will appear, and he/she will find it. And with it, the World's Light will be revealed. And you will cease to exist." Past-Neel laughed out. The Light scoffed and point one tiny hand in the air. A ball of light grew and grew above the Flask. Once it was finished, it fell down in front of Neel, and assumed his same form. Past-Neel looked at the reflection with a smile._

_"I never took you as an insane person, brother. Oh well, you failed." The Light mused, licking its ghostly lips voraciously. The reflection came forward and raised one hand, and a sword of light appeared in it. Present-Neel saw the sword a little closer. He backed away when he realized thousands of screaming souls were inside._

_"What are you talking about, brother?" Past-Neel chuckled quietly. The Light in the Flask glanced at his brother with a bored expression. The reflection swung down the sword in his hand._

_"**I've always been insane.**" Past-Neel said with a wide grin. Then, the reflection cut Neel's body in half, and the scene shattered. _

_The scene was black and Neel was confused. He didn't even learn the name! He was about to complain, but a bright light erupted his eyes. And just like that, in bold words, was the name._

**_Damascus Lloyd._**

* * *

Neel opened his eyes abruptly to the name and he fell on his rear. He was sweating heavily and he was panting. The Knight looked down at the young knight. Neel glanced at the Knight with a shocked expression.

"The name! It- I... I mean... what? how? When?" Neel blabbed out. The Knight said nothing, except point at Neel's back. Neel was confused for a second, but then he noticed it. The gut wrenching pain in back.

" AHHHHHH!" Neel cried out in pain. He turned around and saw his back was steaming hot, like it had been branded. The Knight was silent as it showed Neel's back with the reflection of his armor. Neel widened his eyes as he saw a scar, newly inflicted onto his back.

The scar was in the shape of an infinity symbol, and it was located in his upper back. Neel also realized he was shirtless. His robe was nowhere in sight. Neel glanced at the Light in the Flask, who had a very angry expression. He then glanced at the empty eyes of the Knight.

"What do I-"

"You must go now, Neel. You have seen the name. Do not speak it. Do not write it. The true name of the Light in the Flask resides _Overthere. _You have now been accepted as a true Dark Knight. Move swiftly. Follow your king. And most importantly, **do not die**.The time has come for payment. Your future is not here after all. Go, and take your eye." The Knight said, taking out a very pristine dagger.

"This is the Knife of Truth. Once you appear in the real world, use it to cut out your eye. It will then immediately be replaced by the Light in the Flask's eye. That scar on your back will also be inflicted. Now go! FIND IT! FIND THE WORLD'S LIGHT!" The Knight said. His form flickered for a second, and then it faded away. The dagger fell into Neel's hand. He got up shakily, and took in a deep breath. He turn towards the Light in the Flask, who was bouncing around in his container frantically.

"_PLEASE! SPARE ME! PLEASE,BROTHER! I DON'T WANT TO-"_

"If you think this is going to be the worst pain you'll ever experience in your pathetic existence, you're sadly mistaken. I swear ,on our three souls, once you're set free from our bondage... **I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU**!" Neel yelled at the the Light with a very serious tone. It shrieked and tried to argue again.

" _YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU WON'T DO THIS! YOUR BLUFFING! THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S ALL JUST A BLUFF! HyeHaheheha!"_ The Light laughed insanely. A door appeared out of nowhere in front of Neel. He was silent as he gripped the dagger fiercely.

"Just watch me, Light in the Flask." Neel said, as he walked through the portal.

* * *

**3,863 words! Holy crap, this is the longest chapter I have ever written! Please R&R!**


	13. Equivalent Exchange

**My god, I can't figure out what to write for my next chapter with my other story. I had it in my head, and now it's gone. So I decided to write more of this. I'm going to love writing all the fun stuff when we get to the New World Arc! :D In any case, on to chapter 13!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

* * *

_The Knife of Truth_

_It cuts through all_

_Even the holy_

_will fall to its jaws_

_-Tales of the Light Knight_

* * *

**Equivalent**** Exchange**

The Light Knight flew back a few feet gracefully, twirling his scythe in the air. White blood trickled from his deceptively angelic mask. He- or it- looked at it and smiled crookedly. It sucked on it and it instantly disappeared. Garp appeared in a flash in front of the satanic knight. The Light Knight mocked the famous marine.

"It's no use, Monkey D Garp! Not even your mighty fists can hurt me! I have no body to hit! Punch me all you like! The more the merrier as they say~!" He mocked inhumanely, his fingers cackling insanely. Garp wordlessly sped forward and punched the Knight again with a ferociousness not even Luffy had seen before. The Light Knight flew back into a wall, only to land on it safely. It stabbed it's scythe into the ground and stood on the helm, looking even more deceptively angelic than before. The lower marines were scared out of their guts.

"That's right, _pathetic humans~_! FLEE, FLEE! _YEHAHAYHEHA_!" The Knight snickered. It stopped laughing and suddenly ducked. The marines were confused for a second, but then they noticed Kizaru had tried to kick the Knight in the face with his speed of light kicks. Kizaru was shocked for a second. The Knight smirked at the usually calm man evilly.

"Hmmm, you're pretty fast for an old man..." Kizaru surmised lazily, floating in the air.

"_You_ can't hit me with light, foolish mortal.** I AM YOUR LIGHT! FEAR ME!**" The Knight screeched as he ruthlessly punched Kiaru in the chest,causing the light man to get shot back into a building. Even the strongest of marines couldn't stand up to him. One captain suddenly crouched down low, in pain.

"Flee-Fleet Admiral! Doe-Does th-that guy have the Conqueror's haki? This is similar to the Yonkou Red-haired Shanks except... It's..." The man couldn't talk any longer. Insanity corrupted the man's mind as hi body crumpled to the ground. Sengoku glared at the knight, but couldn't help but become weak.

_His Haki is three times stronger than a normal humans... so even... me... must...KEEP A STRAIGHT HEAD! YOU HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, SENGOKU!_

The Buddha jumped from his perch and landed flat on the Light Knight, who took the brunt full force, laughing crazily.

"EXCELLENT STRENGTH, SENGOKU THE BUDDHA. JUST AS I REMEMBERED IT!" The Light Knight screamed at the Fleet Admiral. His haki was exploding out of him at a ferocious tempo. The ground shook from his powerful will. Sengoku increased the power of his shock wave with a mighty roar. The sky seemed to crumble at the power erupting from the two. They were almost like gods, controlling everything that was happening around them.

" I WILL... NOT SUCCUMB TO YOUR POWER...LIGHT KNIGHT!" Sengoku bellowed out, his haki on full throttle. The Light Knight screamed with all his might and with his fist crashed into Sengoku's shock wave. The earth beneath them croaked and erupted. Suddenly, a shock wave erupted from elsewhere, destroying more of Marineford.

"EXCELLENT... EXCELLENT! LETS BRING MARINEFORD TO THE GROUND, GUYS!" Blackbeard ordered fiercely, his men laughing in victory. Garp immediately punched Blackbeard in the face with a ferocity that tore open the hearts of many marines. It was just too much for them. However, one pink haired marine had his head lowered in tears, something no one else was doing...

It was complete and utter chaos. The whole war was continuing for no reason. The Light Knight was all the more happy at this. It had been so long since he had killed so many people. He loved the human body. So delicate and fragile. So fitting to die.

"I WIN, RANEUS D NEEL! YOUR BODY IS-"

Suddenly, a gigantic black shadow erupted in the middle of the whole war, stunning everyone speechless. It was gigantic and domineering to everyone around it. The Three admirals and Sengoku watched the shadows disperse into a door. A gigantic door that looked similar to the Dark armor. It was as if it was the...

"The gates of hell... It has to be that... Holy shit..." One marine muttered, fainting to the ground. A few hundred marines fell to the ground from its power.

"No doubt about it..."

"The devil himself..."

"He's coming..."

Sengoku turned towards the Light Knight, who now, surprisingly, was scared out of his mind. It was a completely new side of him, as if he was a child about to be taken to his home to be punished.

"No... No way... He wouldn't..."The Light Knight muttered madly, his eyes shaking in absolute fear. Sengoku now had to wonder, who was going to come out of that huge door. Suddenly, with a mighty groan and creak, the door opened up, disappearing immediately. It made a huge dust cloud that blinded everyone from the person that emerged from it. The winds blew into a huge funnel cloud, and then dispersed, leaving everyone gawking at the sight of the Dark Knight, Raneus D Neel. The Dark Knight's eyes were alight with a fire that burned through them. He was shirtless, a single stream of blood pouring out of his mouth. He had never looked more serious than he did then. Suddenly, the winds dispersed calming everything into a silence that shocked the world. Neel, after a few second gave a shark smirk that made everyone anticipate what he was going to do next.

"NEEL! HOLY CRAP! WHAT THE HELL! THERE'S TWO OF THEM! WHAT? HOW?" The whole war screeched out in a muffle of voices. Garp, however, had to close his eyes for a second.

_He really hasn't changed a bit... always showing up at the last second with that cheeky grin..._

Neel breathed in and out. He could tell his soul trying to bond with the Light Knight. It was an addictive connection that breached even his own desires. He shook his head and gripped the Knife of Truth. It didn't look strong, but it was the one weapon the Light Knight couldn't stand up to, since it was made from his own power. The Light Knight couldn't attack Neel because that would be like attacking himself. The Knife of Truth glistened for a second.

"NO WAY! GET AWAY FROM ME! GO AWAY!" The Light Knight shrieked out, scrambling to its feet, to shaken to move. Neel glanced at the Knight with a ferocity that beat Garps by a single notch. He then wordlessly, ran towards the Knight, knife poised. The Light Knight turned and started to run, it's arms stretched out,, trying to get away as fast it could. Neel ran full speed towards his other soul, the dagger glowing in his hand. Suddenly, a certain red admiral blocked his path. Akainu poised his magma fist at the Dark Knight. The marines, for once, doubted their admiral had the common sense to get the hell out of his way.

" Neel! I sentence you to-"

Neel simply jumped on the Admiral's shoulder and used it to propel himself closer to the Light Knight. Sengoku couldn't do anything as Neel ran past him. His eyes were alight with a determination that fitted the name "D".

"PLEASE! DON'T TAKE MY EYE! PLEASE! I NEED IT! TAKE ANYTHING ELSE! PLEASE!"The Light Knight screamed, running fast than ever. It was no use, for Neel's soul was naturally attracted to the Light Knight. It made him go faster than ever.

Sengoku and Garp took in the screams that came from the once feared Light Knight.

_There's no way... Is he going to..._

_He can't! He wouldn't dare... then again...it is NEEL..._

Neel fiercely grabbed the Light Knight by the hand, making it beg for mercy. Neel's eyes were downcast at the Knight. The Light Knight whimpered out cries of help.

"PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE! THIS MAD MAN'S GOING TO-"

"Take your eye." Neel said, his tone clear and sharp. The words sunk in to the crowd of marines.

"WAIT A SECOND! DON'T DO IT! IF YOU DO THAT THEN YOU WILL LOSE YOUR OWN EYE!" Sengoku screamed at his old nemesis. Neel silently glanced back at his old friends, and grinned widely at them.

"Take care of my body, will you, Sengoku, Garp?" Neel asked, more of a command than an answer.

The Dark Knight glanced back at the Light Knight, his eyes full of anger.

"PLEASE SPARE ME! PL-"

Neel suddenly kissed the palm of his hand and brought it up to his right eye, as if transferring the kiss to the body part.

"HAH! I knew it. Your to scared to do such a-"

"No, it's more like I'm saying goodbye. It's served me well over the years. Oh well. **YOUR POWER IS MINE! LIGHT IN THE FLASK!**" Neel yelled at the Knight, raising the Knife of Truth. Images flashed in his head. One in particular bugged him the most. The one with the albino woman, burning in the flames. It was highly unlikely...but maybe that had been his girlfriend or something.

_Well, forgive me... mystery woman._

With a roar, the knife plunged into the Light Knight's right eye, creating a massive light that enveloped everyone inside of it. Everyone in the entire Navy looked up to see the sky literally parting. Everyone's jaw dropped to the ground in amazement. Garp chuckled at the light, more amused than shocked.

_Please, I've seen better..._

The next thing shocked everyone even more. A single sword appeared from the sky, a gigantic one to be exact. Sengoku was reminded of the broadsword symbol on the back of Neel's cape. Suddenly, a darkness appeared from the center of the light, filling half of the globe of energy with a purplish darkness. Streaks of light and darkness shot out of the ball, firing towards the sky. They entwined the sword, spinning around it. When it finished entwining the enormous weapon, it was exactly shaped like the symbol on Neel's cape**(A/N To those of you who don't know, it looked like the symbol in medicine. The snakes surrounding the caduceus)**.

It was jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, and beautiful. It was the most godly, legendary, holy thing everyone in that war had even seen. The Blackbeard pirates were all stunned in shock as well. Blackbeard couldn't think of anything else to say. The pirates were escaping, but they glanced back at it in amazement. Jinbei was beyond impressed. He looked down at Luffy.

_If Luffy was still conscious, I bet he would be flipping out right now...but now..._

Jinbei shook the sad thought from his head, and kept on running with the pirates.

The marines had thrown their guns on the ground. Akainu made no move to stop them, for he to was in a very compromised state. Several mairnes surrounded Garp, who wasn't looking and picking his nose.

"Um, Vice-Admiral Garp, Maybe you haven't noticed... **BUT WHY THE HELL ARE YOU PICKING YOUR NOSE AT A TIME LIKE THIS?**" The marines screamed at him. Garp snorted in annoyance.

"Please, I've seen better. That was pre-game, you amateur." Garp sighed, uninterested in whatever his subordinates had to say. The marines closed their mouths and blankly stared at their leader. Garp, after a few seconds, glanced at them in confusion.

"What?"

"Garp."

"What is it?"

"We think you might be insane."

"Oh come on it's not that-"

Sengoku shifted next to Garp in one motion and tapped his shoulder.

"Garp, if that doesn't blow your mind, then you have no emotion."

"OH COME ON, IT'S NOT THAT-"

"YES IT IS, YOU IDIOT OLD MAN!THERE IS A SWORD, FLOATING IN THE SKY!" The whole entire navy face planted into the ground. Garp sighed and stared at the sword in the sky. After a few seconds, his eyes popped out in amusement.

"Now that you mention it, that is pretty cool! Guys ,check it out!" Garp clapped in amazement. The Navy turned to stone at the theatrics of their leader. It was no use trying to reason with the old man.

* * *

Think of the most annoying person you have ever met. Put the pain you get from being near them and multiply that by one million, nay, one billion. Add in a one thousand knife wounds, three thousands kicks to the crotch, and that's how much pain Neel was in. His right eye was literally disintegrating right before his eyes, ironically.

He was back in the place where he met the Light in the Flask. Blood poured from the open socket of his eye. It was literally just _gone. _It wasn't a cut, and it wasn't blown out of his head. It was as if it was thrown out of reality. Neel's screams were so outer worldly that it was impossible to tell which pitch of sound it was on. The Light in the Flask screamed in his container.

"_DAMN YOU! THAT HURTS! WHY ME! I CAN'T SEE! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" The Light in the Flask screamed in agony. It's eye was forcefully taken from him. Neel blinked once and then twice. Suddenly, Neel had two eyes. The feeling was exactly the same as before. He touched his eye carefully. It worked perfectly. Neel looked into the reflection of his face in the gauntlet. One of his eyes was now white and the other black. The white eyes was exuding massive amounts of haki. Suddenly, the Dark Knight appeared once again.

"Neel... I... we are losing connection...you have to cover that eye up... or else the haki will affect everyone around you...here...take this eye patch... it will prove useful for now..." The Fading Knight said, making a black eye patch with the insignia of the sword entwined with light and dark at the eye. It covered Neel's right eye, and it fit perfectly.

"This is good bye...for now...Raneus D Neel...Good luck..." The Knight waved, and disappeared.

Neel slumped to the ground, but didn't fall flat on his stomach. He had to show the world he could stand up. Th Light in the Flask glared angrily at Neel with its new dark eye.

"_I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS. THIS ISN'T-"_

But it was no use, for Neel had fallen asleep, a cheeky grin across his face, knowing he had won.

* * *

**Because &%$# you Light in the flask. You had it coming. In any case, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Oh god, I've got to write the next chapter for my other story. T_T One of my readers asked me if I had a drawing of Neel, but I don't 'cuz I suck at drawing. So if anyone is an artist, feel free to try and draw him for me! If you enjoyed this story, please R&R, and I'll see you guys next time!**


	14. The War's Finale

**So a couple of people asked me what Neel's theme would be earlier. So I went ahead and found some themes for him. Here it is!**

_**The Dark Knight's Theme - Knives and Shadows(Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) or Those Who Fight( Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children)**_

_**The Light Knight's Theme- Spiral of Truth(**__**Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)**_

_**Neel's Theme - Nube Negra (Bleach) Lullaby of Resembool (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) Run away ( One piece)**_

_**Neel's Sad Theme - Crime and Punishment & Violoncello's lament(Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)**_

**These songs are possibly the closest thing I can do to explain what and who Raneus D Neel is. Please enjoy Chapter 14!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

* * *

_To reach the end with absolute order,_

_To rid the world of all seven desires,_

_To extend its reach to the stars above..._

_- Tales of the Light Knight( Confiscated by World Government)_

* * *

**The War's Finale**

The sphere of light glowed a bright light for about seven seconds. The marines and pirates couldn't tear their eyes off it. Garp punch a rock that came flying towards him from the explosion and it shattered into pieces.

"When is this light show going to end?" Garp muttered, protecting his fellow marines from the flying rocks. Sengoku watched with keenful eyes at the center of the light where Neel had disappeared. Suddenly, the sword and the sphere of light disappeared. It wasn't like it evaporated. It was like it had been there just a second, and the next time, gone with a puff of smoke. The marines covered their noses in disgust.

" What's the matter with-" Garp started before he smelt the foul stench. His eyes widened when he recognized the smell.

_Burning... Flesh?_

Sengoku stared in shock at the crumpled form of Raneus D Neel. The marines visibly vo tied when they saw the bloody, gigantic, burning infinity scar carved into his back. He was shirtless, so everyone in the entire war could see his newly scarred back. Steam pillowed around the slumped man. The men on the front side of Neel were even more horrified. The entire left side of his face was bleeding horribly. The eye-patch did little to protect his eye. The marines were horrified on what they would find under te eye-patch. Gar staggered over to Sengoku.

" Sen-Sengoku...What...Why-"

" Neel... God dammit... He did it again... sacrificing things of his own to protect his enemies... How many times must he suffer for our weakness..." Sengoku mumbled, glaring at the bloodied figure. Garp pointed towards Neel's face.

" Well, at least he's happy." Garp said quietly, staring at Neel's cheeky grin.

* * *

Coby watched the Dark knight's crumpled state with a sad frown. This war...it wasn't right. He had to do something...but...

_If you want something, you have to try! Even if it means death!_

Coby a staggered to his feet. That's right! He couldn't give up! Not yet! He had to do something, but what?

* * *

The war instantly resumed with a battle cry. Pirates were running in terror of the vice-admirals. The admirals were busy fighting the head commanders. Akainu jumped over to Neel's bloody figure and stared down at him menacingly. Garp watched with pain as Neel was helpless. Sengoku was to busy fighting Blackbeard.

" You will not destroy this place!" Sengoku roared at the evil pirate, preparing his next attack. Blackbeard laughed loudly, and prepared his attack.

" All evil must be destroyed..." Akainu seethed under his breath. He raised his magma fist and prepared to kill the Dark Knight. Sengoku watched with supreme and utter disbelief as Akainu raised his magma fist. On the outside he did not care, but on the inside...

_Please...someone..._

Garp could do nothing but watch with suppressed anger. He couldn't prevent it from happening, because he was a marine, damn it! It wasn't right! TheN why was it so hard to accept a single pirate's death? What was so special about him?

Akainu raised his fist.

" Farewell, Dark Knight." Akainu said bluntly, striking down on the pirate. Suddenly, a figure got in his way, arms outstretched.

"**_THAT'S FAR ENOUGH!_**" Coby screamed, pausing the entire war. Everyone was in shock as they stared at the weak little marine. Garp was astounded the most out of everyone.

" Coby..." Garp muttered, wondering what the hell was wrong with his dear pupil.

Akainu stared down at the pink-haired marine.

" What do you want, brat? You're in my way." Akainu seethed, his anger pouring out of him. Coby finally revealed his crying face. Akainu flinched for a second.

**" WHY ARE WE STILL FIGHTING? MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DYING! WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED OUR GOAL, SO WHAT IS THIS NOW? STOP THIS USELESS FIGHTING! WE ARE WASTING PEOPLE'S LIVES HERE!" **Coby screamed at the admiral. Everyone was in shock as the marine said his words. He was dead meat. Akainu grunted in annoyance.

" I can't believe I wasted my time listening to you. Any marine who doesn't follow justice doesn't deserve to live. Goodbye, foolish boy!" Akainu raised his fist to strike at Coby. The pink-haired marine couldn't do anything. Garp watched in horror as his student was in grave danger. Coby raised his arms to defend himself.

_At least I said what I wanted to say..._

Akainu brought down his magma fist on Coby, but it was blocked by a single sword. Coby crumpled to the ground, eyes as white as snow. A red-haired pirate stood bravely in front of the admiral.

" Good job, young marine. You're few seconds of bravery has changed the fate of th world, for better or for worse." Shanks said, revealing his serious face. Akainu emmited fear from his eyes. Everyone was in shock as another Yonkou had shown up in the battlefield. His body literally oozed out Conquerer's Haki. Akainu jumped back a few feet catching his breath. The Yonkou sheathed his blade and glanced around him, until his eyes rested on his former teacher. He walked over to the fallen knight, and crouched down low. He saw the serious injuries that had been dealt on Neel and frowned.

" It's ok, master, I am here..." Shanks whispered to his teacher, nodding in assurance. As if somehow listening, Neel's smile widened ever so slightly. Shanks regained his serious composure once more.

" Do not fret, Navy, I am not here to fight!" Shanks announced, the whole war listening to his words. Sengoku jumped to the front to listen closely.

" I have come... To end this useless fighting. To anyone who still wants to fight...COME, FIGHT US!" The Yonkou announced, unsheathing his sword, his entire crew behind him. His crewmates were all very powerful, even at first glance. The whole war took in his words with great consideration. Sengoku decided to order his men to stop. Shanks glanced at the dead body Whitebeard and Ace.

" Let us handle the funerals of Ace and Whitebeard. It is the least I can do. And as for you, Blackbeard..."

The fat man laughed loudly and sneered at him.

" You're looking handsome as ever, especially with that scar on your eye. Nevertheless, I've already gotten what I wanted. Come on men! GIHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard taunted, walking away into the mist.

Shanks sighed and stared at the ground, where a lone Strawhat rested. He stared at it for a few seconds and then picked it up. He looked up to see Buggy yelling at him. He smiled at his old friend.

" Oi! Buggy! Take Neel and this Strawhat to Luffy, will you?" Shanks asked, throwing the strawhat like a boomerang towards the clown. Buggy instantly agreed at the mention of his teacher's name. He flew down and picked up Neel by the arms, and the strawhat by wearing it. Buggy flew through the air and went towards the ship where Luffy rested.

" Don't worry, master. You're safe here, I promise." Buggy said, trying to make his unconcius teacher better. Neel was still silent as he plopped down on the ship.

" Man, more passengers?" One of the crewmates said. Jinbei quickly picked up Neel and put him beside Luffy on the bed. Ultima was nowhere to be found. The fishman turned towards Trafalgar Law, who was silent in the corner.

" So that's the Dark Knight? He looks young for someone so old." Law mused, standing up to get a better view of the man. Jinbei bowed and thanked. Law for saving them.

" We better get going, the marines will catch up any second." Law said glumly. Jinbei nodded and he sat down, starting to fall asleep.

Neel peeked his black eye open, not wanting to affect the ship with the haki of his white eye. He, very weakly, glanced at Luffy's broken form. He wished he could have...

He finally lost his breath and fell to exhaustion.

* * *

**I was so late on this chapter. Please forgive me :(. In any case, some people were confused about Neel's haki. **

**The Dark Knight inside of him has advanced armament haki, which appears three times darker than regular haki, hence the name " Dark Knight". He can apply it to any surface, such as the air itself. Keep in mind, something has to be there for it to be applied on.**

**Neel himself has advanced observation Haki. It lets him predict many things at once. This is the only reason he was able to keep up with Mihawk in swords. It lets him deduce things at a rapid rate and see things better than anyone else. It resonates from his eyes, however, now he only has one eye... I'll let you guess what that does!**

**The Light Knight has advanced conquerer's haki which lets him control people by making them go insane. He can manipulate people into believing there is no hope for them no matter what they do. He exposes the prime fears of his enemies and uses it against them. And now Neel has it. So what will happen now?**

**Read more to find out! Please R&R and I'll see you next time!**


	15. Until We Meet Again

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I finally got a proof reader guy, or something like that.**

**Dee: HE TOLD ME EVERYTHING! SO BASICALLY-**

***Wap**

**Zorrod- On with chapter 15!**

**Disclaimer:I don't own One piece.**

* * *

_The Light is sacred,_

_accepting the chosen ones and none else._

_The Darkness is evil,_

_but it accepts all who bow._

_So how can one really say,_

_that they aren't the same?_

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Until We Meet Again...**

Neel floated through his dream world with blank eyes. Or rather, one eye.

He couldn't move nor speak nor think. Floating images filled his thoughts automatically and uncontrollably. The images he saw were outer worldly and voided. It was as if it was a paradox in a paradox. His eyes finally rested on an image of a familiar strawhat.

_Luffy...I'm sorry..._

" Oi, Neel, wake up."

The man quickly reacted and opened his eye weakly. He glanced around the unfamiliar forest he was in, wondering where he was.

" You're the last one to get up." Rayleigh said, staring happily at the knight.

"** Ra-****Rayleigh?" **Neel shrieked out, his eye blinking erratically at his old friend. A million questions and answers rushed into Neel's head. He felt a swell of happiness rush into him.

" My god, Rayleigh, I haven't seen you in-"

Rayleigh ruthlessly kicked the man out of his rest and he flew back five feet, landing right next to a certain rubber man's feet. Luffy eyed Neel blankly under the guise of his strawhat.

" _Luffy! _My god! I-"

Luffy grabbed Neel by the color and smashed him against a tree. Neel grunted in pain and scowled at Luffy angrily.

" What the hell is wrong with yo-"

**" YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" **Luffy yelled angrily at him, shaking him furiously. Rayleigh crossed his arms and watched patiently. The knight grabbed Luffy's arms, trying to get him off, but his captain was too strong.

" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU YELLING AT ME FOR?" Neel grunted back, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He had never seen Luffy look so angry and disappointed.

" LOOK AT YOURSELF FOR A SECOND! YOU LOST A GOD DAMN EYE AND YOU'RE PERFECTLY FINE? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? WHY DID YOU TRY AND SAVE ME, INSTEAD OF SAVING YOURSELF?" Luffy yelled at Neel furiously. The knight digested his words slowly and finally reacted. He looked down to see he had been refitted with new clothes. He was wearing a silver cloak and a black vest that was buttoned up on the inside. He wore black pants and boots. Bandages were scattered all over his body. Neel lightly touched his eye patch.

" My...my left eye... I can't..." Neel murmured, his face contorting into sadness. Luffy's grip loosened as he saw his friend's face and he frowned deeply. Neel reached up to remove his eye patch, but Rayleigh stopped him instantly.

" Don't, the haki of that eye is too strong." Rayleigh said softly, crouching down to study his old comrade.

" What...happened?" Neel asked, looking around the unfamiliar forest. Luffy sat down next to his friend and watched him. Rayleigh coughed to get Neel's attention.

" You've been asleep for a two weeks, Neel. Let me just tell you it fast..."

* * *

" ... So then we arrived here on Rusukaina, and Luffy has asked his crew to train for two years." Rayleigh finished, sitting down on the rock. Neel was silent during all of this.

" Is something wrong?" Luffy asked, poking his friend's shoulder. Neel pouted and looked away.

" I missed everything? Oh man... I wanted to thank them..." Neel muttered to himself. He stared at Rayleigh for a few seconds, and then glared at him.

" So why the hell did _you_ kick me?" Neel asked, gesturing with his hands. Rayleigh instantly scowled.

" It's been about _20 years _and you aren't smart enough to figure out why I am so disappointed? I still haven't forgotten what you did on Raftel. Why did you-"

Neel's eye widened immediately and he suddenly remembered the true name. The Dark Knight. He had to tell Luffy!

" Oi, Rayleigh, I...I'm really, _really, _sorry but I have to tell Luffy the... thing." Neel stammered out, trying to stop his friend. Luffy raised an eyebrow upon hearing his name. Rayleigh made a silent "o" and slowly walked away. Neel exhaled and turned to Luffy. He got up and pulled Luffy up with him.

" Hey Luffy." Neel said, giving him a blank look.

" What?"

"_ My name is Damascus Lloyd._"

* * *

**Luffy POV**

The moment Neel told me the name, it felt as if the air sped up and slowed down at the same time, and the tree's rustled fervently. It was as of the world had never heard something so sacred in it's existence. I felt myself lose conciousness, my last image being Neel yelling something at me. Suddenly, he slumped over too.

" Luffy?"

I instantly got up in a completely white room, Neel to the right of me with a nonchalant look. I stared wide-eyed at the space around me.

" What? Where? What the hell happened? Are we dead?" I asked frantically. Neel laughed and got up from his crisscross position. I was about to question him, but suddenly I noticed Neel wasn't the same person anymore. Now, I could see both of his eyes, one black and the other white. He had this old, melancholic aura around him that made me cautious of his position.

" It seems you have noticed my king. I am not Raneus D Neel, but I am. My name is, as already told by said man, Damascus Lloyd. I am here to show you the truth." The man said. I stared at him like he was a weirdo or something. I didn't know what he was talking about, but then a thousand images came into my head.

It was as if the world was feeding me all of its information at once. I saw Neel fighting of marines. Then I actually saw the Pirate King Gold Roger! I saw Rayleigh, Shanks Buggy, and a bunch of others that went to fast for me to truly see them. Then It all came crashing down on my head as I watched Neel talk with some Light in a bottle. Their voices bounced and ached of my head, as if firmly implanting the memory in my skull. I saw Neel sacrifice himself and a bunch of other things as well. Then the images stopped, until I saw the symbol on Neel's back appear right in front of me. It grew in length, width, and height until it exploded.

" Beware the Knights of the Round Table."

And then I woke up.

" Geagafah." I struggled out. Rayleigh held my head in his hands. Neel was looking at me worriedly, but more importantly, his white eye was now visible to everyone.

"Neel! You have to cover that up! It-"

" It's gone. All of the power of the haki has been reduced. My power is weakened now... " Neel said sadly, staring at his hands. Luffy got up quickly and stared at Neel's blank, but frightening, white eye. It was true. I couldn't feel a single ounce of the familiar haki.

" Don't worry, Neel. We'll figure something out." I smiled, dusting my shorts off. My attention grew dim as I remembered the memories I saw.

" Neel... did that really happen? Did you..." My voice trailed off, remembering some of the things I had seen. Neel sighed and got up.

" Looks like this eye comes with a price. It feels as if it's weaker than ever. I guess I'll have train super hard!" Neel said, cracking his fists. Rayleigh laughed and settled down quickly.

" You haven't changed at all!"

" Oh come on, I've slept for two weeks. Gimme a break!"

_Beware the Knights of the Round Table._

" Oh my god! I saw you're memories, Neel! I saw the pirate king and Rayleigh! It was so weird! I also you talking with a weird light in a bottle. That was freaky, but get this. At the end of the images, some weird guy whispered something into my head!" I exclaimed, gesturing with my hands. The two men stared at me, obviously confused.

" You also talked about me being king or something... and is it really true ,Neel? Are you, like, immortal and from the void... Void century?" I said quietly. I suddenly remembered Robin's dream of finding out the true history! The thought had never occurred to me!

" You HAVE to join my crew! You need to see Robin! She can help you!" I said enthusiastically. Neel's eyes widened for a second but then he nodded with a fake a smile. My smile melted but I decided to keep on with my story.

" Oh yeah, some weird guy told me something..." I said, scratching the back of my head. Neel snapped out of his trance and paid attention.

" Beware the Knights of the Round Table." I said , remembering the voice's words. Neel's eyes widened and he slumped down again. His eyes darkened for a second and then brightened. I knew he remembered something by hearing those words. At least, I could help him a little bit.

Rayleigh got up and turned to me.

" Hey, Luffy? Can you go into the forest and go to the center? I'll catch up in a bit." Rayleigh asked, pointing towards the entrance. I nodded and raced into the forest, and then I stopped for a second.

" I'll see you again in two years, on the Saboady Archipelago. Don't be late! You're gonna love my crew. They are hilarious! Can't wait until you meet Nami, too!" I screamed at him. He gave me a confused the look.

" Who's that?"

"I'll tell you later!" I yelled, waving my hands in farewell. " See ya!"

I ran off into the forest and prepared myself for training.

_Nami..._

_I wondered when I'd get to see her again..._

* * *

**Neel POV**

" You know what he was talking about, don't you?" Rayleigh asked quietly to me. To tell you the truth, I didn't see half of the things Luffy had mentioned. Although, one name clicked...

" Robin... It's... Do you...?" I murmured softly. Rayleigh laughed loudly and patted me on the back.

" How can you not remember your little crush?" Rayleigh teased. I instantly crashed my head into the ground. I glared at him.

" What the hell are you saying, Linebeard?" I retorted back, annoyed at his words his smile brightened even more.

" You still use my nickname, _Emo-Knight_." He said back. I snickered a little and then laughed out loud. I hadn't realized how wound up I had been from fighting. It felt good to laugh for once.

" But seriously, what are you talking about?" I asked, turning towards him. Rayleigh took out his flask and drank some more sake.

" Nico Olvia."

That was all he said, and suddenly a whole other set of memories appeared in my head.

_Neel?_

_Come on, Neel!_

_Run,Raneus!_

_Emo-Knight..._

_Dereshsishishishi..._

" Nico... Olvia..." I whispered to myself. Suddenly, the image of the woman burning in the flames became clearer. I saw it a little closer, and saw a whole bunch of new feature to the picture. She had azure eyes and a sharp nose. Her white hair framed her face nicely.

" Starting to remember?" Rayleigh asked, poking my shoulder. I turned and my eyes dropped.

" Yeah... I guess... Wait so... Was she my...?"

" No. I never met her personally, and neither did anyone else on the crew. But you And her... you never had the courage to tell her..." Rayleigh explained quietly. My expression saddened a little bit, but then I wondered about what he said.

" So how does Robin tie into all of this? What do you mean you never met her? How could that happen?"

" Her full name is Nico Robin. She's her daughter. Make sure you don't fall for her, too."

" Oh shut up, but how did I get around if I didn't have a ship?"

Rayleigh looked at me quizzically but then he had a look of understanding."Oh yeah, you don't know what your job was on the ship do you?"

I shook my head, awaiting what he was going to tell me. Was I like the super cool executioner or the awesome tactician or the-

" You were the messenger of the Roger Pirates." Rayleigh explained, drinking more of his sake. My excited expression turned stone cold.

" Me...Me-Messenger?" I stammered back, shocked at his answer. Messenger? MESSENGER!? Oh come on! That sounded lamer than a freaking cabin boy._  
_

" Why are you disappointed?" Rayleigh asked, looking at my complaining expression. I grumbled back some nasty retort.

" That's doesn't sound cool at all..." I muttered, kicking the dirt. The old man actually cracked up a bit and laughed at me. Actually, now that I think about it...

" How did I get so famous if I was just sending messages? And how did I get around if I had no ship?"

Rayleigh's expression turned into a very devious smirk.

" You were not just some kind of normal messenger that just sent one simple piece of paper and called it a day. You were the greatest of them all! The first messenger of the ruler's of the sea. Roger was the only one that knew you were strong and brave enough to travel the entire sea alone during our journey, even if it meant staying away for long periods of time. You traveled practically everywhere and sent hundreds of packages and messages to every one of Roger's allies. Not only that, but you also saved the world numerous times from the pirates who sought the ancien fo your ship? You're going to like this. I understand to regain your memories all you need is some sort of trigger to remember, right?"

I was pleased after hearing Rayleigh talk about me. It sounded pretty cool to be a messenger.

" Yeah, all I need is a keyword or picture and I can usually remember things." I replied, wondering what kind of ship I was sailing in. Maybe it was a super cool submarine or tank.

" Well then, bring out Ultima." He asked with a sly smile. I easily called out the familiar infinity weapon from my soul and held it out.

" Ok, now what?"

Rayleigh paused for a bit and then answered.

_" The Knightmare."_

Suddenly, a blueprint appeared in my head. It was as if it wasn't there, and now it was. I was flabbergasted at the vehicle. It was...obtuse. I couldn't describe it well enough to explain it.

"An-And It's all mine?" I asked quietly. Rayleigh laughed again and nodded. If elf a grin appear on my face, but then it vanished after a second.

" Actually, there _is_ something that doesn't make sense..." I muttered. Rayleigh stopped chuckling and glanced at me.

" How did I know Ace was Roger's son if I was... you know..._dead._" I said grimly, remembering the last memory of my past life. Rayleigh stroked his beard and his eyes brightened when he found the answer.

" Oh yes, didn't you seal a part of your soul into Roger to explain what you did? I guess that means you saw some of the things he did when you were inside of him. Actually, now that you mention it, his last words were similar to your last words to me..." Rayleigh said, speaking his thoughts aloud.

" Oh yeah, Rouge was his mother, right. Wow, Roger sure had good tastes..." I said, having a memory of a very beautiful woman. Rouge was a slender woman with long, wavy strawberry-blonde hair. She wore a pink hibiscus flower in her hair on the left side of her head, and had freckles on her face that were passed on to her son. She also wore a long, short-sleeved, light blue dress that reached down to her feet, and sandals.

" Yeah, Yeah. Don't think too much on the memory, or you might remember them having..."

It was too late. My whole face flushed crimson red. The flood of memories entered my head.

_Roger..._

_Rouge..._

_Oh~!..._

" RAYLEIGH! YOU FUCKING BAST-" The memories interrupted my thought process as I remembered my old captain having..._  
_

" MAKE IT STOP, HOLY SHIT! OH MY GOD!" I yelled out, not caring if the whole forest heard me. Rayleigh burst out laughing at my nosebleed. The sounds of pleasure bounced of the inner walls of my head. I was practically convulsing up blood right now.

" DON'T LAUGH, HELP ME!" I yelled at him, throwing a coconut I found on the ground. He easily sidestepped and laughed more and jumped away. I seethed anger and ran after him.

And even though I was probably at my weakest moment, I never felt happier in my entire reincarnation.

* * *

" So what now?" I asked Rayleigh, sighing as I watched the sunset. We spent the entire day hunting and playing as we used to, although it was a bit weird, him being an old man. We were seated on the top of a cliff.

" I guess...the best choice for you is to go to Crocus of the Twin Capes. He haa our logbook right now. He also has the original copy of the "Tales of the Dark Knight". I read it, and it is pretty good." He replied. The name instantly remembered our ship's former doctor.

" Wait a second, isn't the Twin Capes at the entrance of the Grand Line?" I asked. Rayleigh nodded and then glanced at me.

" It's a foolish idea, since you'd need a navigator and lot's more people." Rayleigh mused, throwing haki-imbued rocks at the trees on the ground, making them crack. I smiled devilishly at him.

" No." He said blankly.

I nudged him a bit.

"No!" He replied back.

" Oh come on! I can do it!"

My reply made him sigh heavily.

" You would have to sail half of the Grand Line by yourself. You can't just do that!" Rayleigh said, gesturing with his hands. I crossed my arms.

" Why not?"

" It's HALF of the GRAND LINE. You'd need so much things before we can even begin to start-"

" What do you mean "we"? You aren't coming along. Come on, it'll be fine. Maybe I can find some of Luffy's crew along the way. It won't be so bad." I reasoned. Rayleigh stared at me.

" What?"

" You really haven't changed at all. Always underrating risks and going along with such dangerous plans..." Rayleigh sighed, throwing more rocks. I laughed and sheathed Ultima. I got up and stretched.

" Then I guess I'll be leaving right now." I said. Rayleigh stared at me as if I was insane.

" You can't just decide to travel half of the grand line with no preparation!

" Says the guy who swam through the calm belt."

" That's different! And by the way, about what Luffy said..." Rayleigh said, getting quieter at the last remark. I scratched my head but I remembered what he said easily.

_Beware the Knight's of the Round Table_

" What is that anyways? You know it, don't you?" I asked. Rayleigh glanced at me worriedly, but drank more of his sake.

" The Knights of the Round Table... I wished I would never have to hear that name again... Basically, they are a bunch of people similar to you, Neel." Rayleigh explained cautiously, as if no wanting to talk about it.

" Like me? You mean they are immortal and have...well...knight powers?" I replied, looking at him. He nodded grimly.

" The main difference between you and them is that they seek to destroy all humans. You are by far the oldest of all knights, no doubt about it. However, there powers give off the same kind of feel. Don't worry though." Rayleigh said, drinking his sake again.

" Why?"

" In your last life, there used to be 13 knights of the group. You defeated nine of them. The names of the ones that we didn't defeat are... Damn it! I'm sorry, but I can't remember..."

I patted his back, and stood up again.

" You're just going to leave like that? Well that hasn't changed as well..."

I glanced back at him.

" You never could stay out in one place." Rayleigh mused, standing up. I laughed and smirked at him.

" What can I say? Old habits die hard."

" Even your terrible puns haven't changed."

" Tch. Old geezer ."

" Spoiled brat."

" Line Beard."

" Emo-Knight."

We both chuckled again and shook hands.

" It was good to see you again, Rayleigh." I said, breaking away. He nodded his head and smiled. I turned around and headed for the water. Waving my hand as a farewell, I walked away. Rayleigh stared a little but longer, and then he left to train Luffy.

I stared out at the inviting water and looked out to sea.

" You once told me that power comes from friends, Roger, but what about me?" I murmured to myself. I shook my head and smiled again.

" You would know that , wouldn't you, _partner_?"

And with that, I set sail for the Twin Capes.

As that happened, a blank eye popped open, 100,000 meteres below the sea.

* * *

** Knights of the around Table? White eye? Nico Olvia? Conquerer's Haki? The Knightmare? More Knights!?WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GO TO THE NEW WORLD!**

**Dee:MmMmMmMmmMm**

**Zorrod: What are you saying? Can't talk while your gagged?**

**Dee: Nod***

**Zorrod: (-_-) Deal with it.**

**Please R&R and I'll see you next time!**


	16. Romance Dawn for the New World

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

**Since we have reached the main start of this story ( Yeah, this story is going to be long), I've decided to thank some people for reviewing and helping me.**

**Big Thanks goes to: doubledamn, GuardianOfAll, MonkeyDeeLuffy, coduss, Zbluez, kallin22 ,and Drago Pirate**

**Thanks to everyone for reviewing! You guys are special to me as well! :D**

**I've also decided to do an sbs of Raneus D Neel, so here we go!**

**Q: Question Z: Me**

**Q: What animal does he resemble?**

**Z: I think Neel would be like a silver wolf, except it would have one eye.**

**Q: What's his specific number?**

**Z: 3.14. I like it because it represents his sort of infinite life span.**

**Q: What's his specific color?**

**Z: This was a hard one, since I had neither black or white. I guess I would say, uhhh, a very dark blueish purple. It's kinda hard to picture in my head.**

**Q: What does he smell like from Chopper?**

**Z: I guess when he "meets" Chopper, he would smell like a regal figure, Something... Old but clean and refreshed. He would smell like a king, basically.**

**Q: What's his favorite type of island/season?**

**Z: Neel's favorite island would definitely be an island with a poneglyph, duh.( Nah, I'm just joking) His favorite island/season would be a spring island.**

**Q: What's his favorite type of food?**

**Z: Robin's cooking, duh(Robin: You're spoiling the story, author-san. Zorrod: Don't act like you don't love it.) His favorite type of food would be blood-red apples and sea king meat.**

**Q: What family member would he be if the strawhats were a family?**

**Z: He would be the butler/servant/guardian. **

**Q: If his gender was swapped, what would he say?**

**Z: This question confuzzled me the most. I guess he would be a really whiny but independent. He would say something like " Zoro! Fight me, RIGHT NOW!" or " Ultima got scratched again...".**

**Q: If he was real, what race would he be?**

**Z: I guess he would be an Indian without the accent. He would be an American.**

**Q: What five things would he think in his inner brain?**

**Z: In the story, Neel's mind is... a little bit weird, considering he has three consciousness. Nevertheless, here they are. Obviously, since this is a RobinxOc, he's going to be thinking of Robin. He would also be thinking about Olvia as well. The third thing he would be thinking about would be his past, the "Void century" past. Next, he would probably be thinking of Roger and his old crew mates. The last thing he would be thinking of is his journey with the Strawhat pirates and the adventures he's having.**

**Q: What's his most suited flower?**

**Z: A blue rose.**

**Q: What's his blood type?**

**Z: Can't tell you this one yet, just keep reading and you will see ;)**

**Q: How often does he bathe?**

**Z: Three to Five times a week.**

**Q: What prefecture represents him best?**

**Z: To tell you the truth, I didn't know what a prefecture was and I'm not sure if I still do. *laughs. Neel represents a regal knight in a court. Like the ones in medieval times.**

**Z: This is the end of the sbs. See ya!**

**Special thanks to Drago Pirate for sending these questions to me! Hopefully I got the last question ok.**

**Now, why don't we go to the New World?**

* * *

_I have crossed a paradise of blood..._

_I have worn a warm blanket of scars..._

_I have promised plenty with hollow words..._

_But at least I found my way to the stars..._

_- Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Romance Dawn for the New World**

**_2 years later at the Saboady Archipelago..._**

The day was just beginning as the sun rose on Saboady Archipelago. The sun's rays created a beautiful landscape of golden colors. As usual, bubbles formed and popped at an uncountable pace. Rayleigh didn't care about that right now, since his student was finally coming back from his training.

" So, when do you think they're going to come? I can't wait to see Monkey-chan and his friends again." Shakky chuckled, wiping a few glasses that were left unchecked.

" Later this evening I guess, however, it seems we have a visitor." Rayleigh mused, downing his glass of alcohol. Shakky's eyes darted to the door, which opened widely. A man wearing a black bandana that covered only his right eye entered the bar silently. His singular black eye studied everything all at once until his eye rested on Shakky. He smiled widely and waved.

" Why hello there, Shakky. I haven't seen you in a long time." Raneus D Neel greeted, walking forward at a brisk pace.

" Well, look who finally decided to show up. And so young. How I would love to have that immortality of yours." Shakky smirked, greeting Neel with a nod of her head. The knight sat next to Rayleigh and picked up a glass of wine. Neel scoffed in annoyance.

" Immortality is overrated."

Shakky burst out laughing.

" So what the hell have you been doing?" Neel asked nonchalantly to his old friend. Rayleigh laughed and shook his head straight.

" Is that how you greet people after two years?" Rayleigh replied, downing another glass of alcohol.

" The sea life changes people in more ways than one." Neel shrugged, downing his glass of wine. Rayleigh had noticed the positive change in Neel's appearance. He looked more powerful and newer than ever. No one would ever expect this 30 year old man to be 900 years old. His robe had been replaced with a very dark cloak that masked his muscular body. His facial features had become more rugged and stronger. His black eye had become even more keen than his former rival, Dracule Mihawk.

" ...So how much have you remembered?" Rayleigh asked, shaking the drink in his hands. Neel looked at the ceiling and then back down.

" Everything up to this side of the grand line. Crocus helped me out a lot." Neel smiled, remembering his old doctor.

" You earlier than anyone."

" The Knightmare _is_ the fastest speedboat in the world. I had to leave the Florian Triangle quickly."

" You were screwing around with it, weren't you." Rayleigh replied, glancing at Neel.

" No I wasn't"

"Yes you were."

"No, you weren't ."

" Yes I wa- Damn."

Neel laughed loudly as he sipped the remaining drops of wine. Rayleigh sighed and downed his third glass quickly.

" You shouldn't be using it so... childishly."

" Oh come on, it's pretty cool. Don't act like you wouldn't do it too. So, has any of Luffy's crew arrived?" Neel replied, stretching his arms.

" One, actually, is coming right now. I can sense him. You want to meet him?" Rayleigh said, pointing to the door. The black eye studied the door meticulously, until Neel smirked, baring his teeth.

" Not yet Rayleigh, Not yet... First impressions are important in this world." Neel replied, tapping his foot against the wood.

" Still careful and cautious as ever?"

Neel nodded and glanced back at Rayleigh.

" I'm sorry for sacrificing myself at Raftel. Forgive me, vice captain." Neel bowed slightly. Rayleigh chuckled and waved his hand.

" I understand. Make sure you find that World's Light of yours."

" Will do."

And with that, Neel disappeared. Shakky blinked three times to make sure she was seeing straight.

" Did he just...?"

" Yup." Rayleigh mused, drinking his last glass. The door to the bar opened up once more. A man with green entered the bar with a smirk.

" You're the first one to get here, Zoro." Rayleigh said, not looking back. Zoro responded by grunting.

" They have always been late..." Zoro eyed the empty wine glass with an astounding curiosity. No one ever drank in Shakky's bar...

* * *

Robin walked through the buzzing streets of the Saboady Archipelago. She always liked the archeology. That was the last thing on her mind, for she was anxious to meet her crew again. However, two men with black suits were tailing her. She frowned in annoyance.

" Why now?" She muttered, turning almost instantly in an alleyway. She came face to face with a wall. The two men stood behind her.

" Nico Robin, by the order of the World Govern-"

When she turned, the two men were gone. She exhaled silently as she looked around her with inquisitive eyes.

" I'm so certain that they were..." Robin muttered to herself. She shrugged and walked into the crowd, blending in with the drone of people. However, one cloaked man, tying to men to a pole on top of the building, kept his eyes on her. He shook his head at the wave of images and silently turned away.

There would be times for introductions later.

* * *

Nami twirled her drink in the wine glass. Some faker was telling her to join his crew. She tried not to groan as he went on about his heritage.

_That's not even close to Luffy. He's strong and brave and kind and nice and stupid and idiotic and awesome and hot and so freaking-_

She stopped thinking dirty thoughts about her rubber captain when a huge plant appeared out of nowhere . The plants wrapped around the faker's crew and triangles them. A cloaked man watched silently in the corner, his hood shielding his face._  
_

" So lady, you want to drink with me?"

Nami whirled around to meet a familiar long nose. She smiled widely and hugged Ussop to her chest.

" Oh my gosh, Ussop! You look so strong now!" Nami exclaimed, hugging Ussop to her chest.

" You've definitely gitten bigger too..." Ussop struggled, mumbling into Nami's breasts. The cloaked man laughed loudly. Nami and Ussop turned towards the laugh with a confused look.

However, he was gone.

* * *

The fake strawhats were cornered by the Navy's pacifistas. The pirates were being defeated by the hundreds.

" It's too strong! Please, Captain Luffy!" One pirate screamed. The fake Luffy was at a struggle of what to do.

He fell on his feet in front of Sentomaru. The marine scowled at the faker.

"He-Hey, Don't you know who I am? I'm Monkey D Luffy! I'm wanted for 400 million beris! I am the grandson of Garp and the son of Monkey D Dra-"

" STRAWHAT ISN'T TRASH LIKE YOU!" Sentomaru yelled, smashing fake Luffy's body into the ground. The faker spewed blood out of his mouth. The pirates were astonished at their captain.

"HE WAS BEATEN IN ONE HIT!"

"HOW? HE WAS WANTED FOR 400 MILLION?"

The pacifista stepped forward and studied the fake Luffy.

"This is not Straw Hat Luffy. This is Demalo Black. Wanted for 26 million." The weapon explained. The pirates cursed heavily under their breaths.

" My sensors indicated that Straw Hat Luffy is here. I will locate him now." The Pacifista stated. After a few seconds, it beeped and fired a beam of light at a random point in the crowd. Luffy jumped on the top of the stand where the Fake Luffy once stood and yelled angrily at the marines.

" HEY! THAT FOOD WAS FOR MY CREW!" Luffy yelled at the pacifistas. The pirates gaped in shock at the real Luffy.

" IT'S HIM!"

One cloaked man stood behind a wall. He smirked and chuckled silently, until the pacifista detected him, too.

" Wait, I also sense another high bounty pirate. Wanted for *classified*" The robot said. The answer confused Sentomaru.

" Who is it?" The marine asked.

The cloaked man decided to unveil himself.

" **ULTIMA**!"

The loud yell erupted the grove into a panic. Luffy grinned widely and looked around. Sentomaru was struggling to keep the peace.

" PX5! Destroy the pirate!"

The pacifista smirked unnaturally. Sentomaru took a step back in fear.

" ULTIMA: DESTROY!"

The pacifista fired a beam directly at the marines, sending them flying all over the place. From the smoke, two more pacifistas appeared. One flew towards Luffy at a blinding pace, but Luffy was faster.

" JET PISTOL!"

The robot slammed into the ground in a pile of rubber, making the ground explode under it. The pirates were running around in chaos. Sanji and Zoro appeared and defeated the other one quickly.

" OI, Luffy!" Zoro called out. Luffy ran towards his friends with a wide grin.

" Sanji! Zoro! It's been so long!" Luffy greeted, stopping in front of them. He turned around with a wondering expression.

" What's wrong?" Sanji asked, noticing his looks.

" It's just that... Neel was here..." Luffy mumbled, looking around. Sanji and Zoro exchanged looks.

" Neel?" Sanji and Zoro asked in unison. The cloaked man appeared in the center of all three of them instantly.

" Yes?" Neel replied, unveiling his cloak. Luffy grinned widely and hugged Neel instantly.

" Neel! You're here! Oh yeah, this is Sanji and Zoro!" Luffy said, pointing at the two. Neel studied them silently for a bit, and then smiled.

"It's good to meet you! You might want to hurry, Luffy. Your friends are waiting for you." Neel said, turning around. Luffy frowned.

" So you're not coming?"

" I'll catch up, don't worry." Neel assured, ordering his weapon to fire at more of the enemies. Luffy nodded and took off running. Sanji and Zoro looked back at the new person.

" Who was that?"

" Neel!"

" Tell us more!"

" Raneus D Neel!"

Their faces crashed into the ground.

* * *

The crew greeted each other vividly. Nami hugged Robin and let go after a few seconds.

" So when is Luffy going to be here?" Nami asked everyone. Ussop and Chopper chuckled perversely on the sidelines. Franky snickered to himself.

" _SOME_one wants the D. As in Monkey _D_ Luffy..."

" Hehehehe..."

Nami smashed her fist straight into Ussop's cranium. She glanced at Chopper with a blank look. The reindeer shuddered erratically. Nami bent low and patted him on the head. Franky came forward and smiled.

" Good job, Navigator-sis! You've gotten less-"

Nami decked Franky in the jaw and he flew into the mast. Robin chuckled at the crew's antics. Suddenly, a familiar laugh echoed in the grove.

" YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Brook jumped into the middle of the deck with an unmatched grace. He tipped his crown to everyone in greeting.

" Hello, everyone!"

" Brook! You're here!" Ussop smiled, shaking the skeleton's hands.

" Well, it has been two years so..." Brook picked up his guitar and sat on a barrel. He eyed Nami and Robin.

" So you're going to play for us?" Nami said, awaiting his music. Brook inhaled and spoke.

" Nami-san, would you please let me see your-"

" _LIKE HELL!" _Nami replied, kicking Brook in the face. The skeleton laughed into the floorboards.

" Honestly, none of you have grown up..." Nami sighed, resting her hands on her hips.

" OI! EVERYONE!"

The crew perked up at the sound. They went to the railing and spotted a giant bird flying towards them. That's not what made them happy the most.

" HEY!"

Luffy waved happily to his crew. They responded back in slight tears and waves. Nami smiled widely and cried a little. She could never have been more happier, knowing that her captain was ok. Sanji, however, was different. The moment he saw Robin and Nami, he flew off the ship in a jet nosebleed.

The moment the bird touched the ground, they group hugged and sighed in content. Luffy's eyes sparkled at Franky's new body.

" Fr-FRANKY! You're so cool!" Luffy clapped. The cyborg chuckled and rubbed his nose. Nami grabbed Luffy by the shoulders and pushed him to the front. Luffy glanced at everyone happily, but then remembered Neel.

" Is he here yet?"

" Who?" Ussop replied.

" Neel!"

" Who's Neel?" Robin asked, feeling confused. Luffy sighed and looked around the ship.

" Raneus D Neel!"

Ussop blanched visibly. Nami struggled to say something. Zoro rubbed the back of his head . Sanji got used to the fact. Robin chuckled softly.

" Yo-You mean, he's... He's coming here?" Ussop stuttered. Chopper tugged on Ussop's pant legs.

" Who is Neel?" Chopper asked innocently. Robin walked up to the reindeer And crouched down low.

" Well, Raneus D Neel was the third mate of the Roger pirates. He was crew mates with Rayleigh-san back there." Robin explained, gesturing with he hands. Sanji stepped forward.

" Wait a minute, he looked like he was at least 30 year old. How can that be? I doubt the third mate of the pirate king would be a child." Sanji reasoned, lighting another cigarette.

" Don't mind that guys..." Luffy said quietly." He's...special."

Luffy confused the crew. There was obviously something he knew that they didn't.

" Luffy? Is there something you aren't telling us?" Nami asked, a frown developing on her face. Luffy glanced at his entire crew with a smile.

" It's not my choice. Ask him about it. I think you're in for a suprise. In any case, where is he?" Luffy looked around the outside of the ship, until the crew heard an engine roaring on the grove. Robin tuned around to see a purple and black motorcycle, and a masked figure on it. She soon realized it was a knight, noticing the blood red cape fluttering in the wind behind him.

" There he is! Come on! I want you guys to meet him!" Luffy said, pushing them towards their new crew mate.

" So is this guy like, the knight from the stories?" Ussop asked, squinting at the knight. Luffy laughed weirdly with a glint in his eye.

" Yup!" He nodded. Ussop grinned and awaited his arrival. Zoro studied the knight with his keen eye, but he could not read him. He gripped his sword lightly.

Neel stopped the Knightmare in front of the ship. He marveled at it for a second, and then slapped his wrist. The Dark armor shrinked back into his gauntlet. He tapped the vehicle once, and it dissapeared into darkness.

* * *

**Wanted Neel to meet the crew? NOPE.**

**Sorry for not writing the chapters for my other stories. I'm so addicted to this O.O.**


	17. Set Sail!

**Lots of people were mad at the cliffhanger in the last chapter! I've never felt so wanted! :D THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

* * *

_I have climbed a staircase of knives,_**  
**

_I have seen the end of anything, and the beginning of nothing,_

_I have sailed across a sea of hatred..._

_And it seems that I..._

_Have lied my way to the stars..._

_-Tales of the Dark Knight_

* * *

**Set Sail!**

**Neel POV**

I had never thought Luffy had such a magnificent ship at his disposal. The Thousand Sunny oddly reminded me of the Oro Jackson, my old ship. I dusted myself a bit and straightened my clothes. Luffy waved at me happily from the deck. I smiled and waved back.

" Get on! There is some people I want you to meet!" Luffy yelled, jerking a thumb behind him. I climbed on the ship's hull. I poked the gelatinous surface of the coating with a slight grin and reached the deck with a jump. The next thing that hit me was déjà vu. The crew mates of Luffy stared at me uneasily. Luffy frowned.

" What's wrong?" Luffy said, poking me on the shoulder. I gaped in shock as I realized what the vision was trying to tell me two years ago. I looked back at Luffy and stared at his strawhat.

" A Strawhat..." I mumbled, walking past him. I walked towards the man named Zoro and glanced at his three swords and the bandana wrapped around his arm.

" A bandana..." I mumbled again, brushing him off. The crew was undoubtedly confused beyond confusion.

" What are you mumbling about Neel?" Luffy asked, tapping his foot to him. I turned towards him.

" A Strawhat, a Badana, a Pinwheel, a Long nose, a Spiral eyebrow, a Blue nose , a Lily flower, a Metal body, and a skeleton! Luffy! Remember the vision!" I explained, gesturing with my hands. His face showed confusion for a second, but then his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

" Wa-Wait a second! That means that you..." Luffy mumbled, obviously trying to make sense of what happened.

" I saw 23 years into the future, on this day. This must be what he, or I, whatever, saw! That's so... I mean... WOW! That means I indirectly directly started the Golden age of pirates! That also technically means I created this crew! That also technically means I saved all your asses! " I said, putting my fist in my palm.

" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO BABBLING ABOUT!" Some of them yelled. The woman known as Nico Robin chuckled softly. I glanced in her direction for one second, and turned to meet them. I changed my expression into a serious one.

" Forgive me, my name is Raneus D Neel. Nice to meet you all!" I greeted, bowing slightly. They were uneasy for a few seconds, but Robin stepped forward and shook my hand in greeting.

" It's nice to meet you too, ." She said, instantly nicknaming me. An old image if Olvia replaced her figure for a second, and then it died away. I grinned for a second and turned towards the sea.

" Wait so, is he joining us?" the orange haired woman asked, poking Luffy. He grinned widely and nodded.

" We better set sail soon." I said. They glared at me again.

" YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT!"

"The marines are coming, look. Hey, they have cannons and guns. How amusing." I said, scratching my chin. They looked at the marine ships and then back at me. I turned to then with a confused expression. They sighed and turned towards their captain.

" Don't worry guys! Look! It's Hancock!" Luffy said, pointing at a red ship, fighting of the marines. I stared at the beautiful body of the Pirate Empress and remembered when I saw her naked. I slapped myself on the cheek and turned away. Hancock turned once, and winked at Luffy. I noticed the orange-girl, Nami, narrowed her eyebrows for just a second.

" We should set sail, Luffy." Nami said, smiling a bit. Luffy grinned and stepped into the middle of the deck.

" Yosh! Everyone! Thank you all for going along with my selfish decision for two years! I have never felt better, knowing we are together again. Lets all celebrate for our new nakama later! But for now... SET SAIL!" Luffy announced, stretching his arms out. We began to sink into the ocean, the marines chasing us. I looked past the water and stared at the marine captain who was glaring at me. I made a claw form with my hands and shielded my face. I unveiled the white eye for a single second.

The marine captain started to scream , right as we submerged.

* * *

The sea was a beautiful thing. Under it was even more beautiful than before. I started to remember when I went under the first time, but it was a lot better up close. Schools of fishes danced in the open ocean, chasing each other around. The sunlight shined inside the sea to make it look even better. Nami cleared her throat and started to talk.

"It'll be a while since we get to Fishman Island, so let's eat for now!"

I watched as everyone in the crew got up and ate the food Luffy got for them. I leaned against the railing, and stared out to sea. Zoro stared at me for a few seconds, and then cleared his throat.

"So, Neel, care to tell us how you are as young as Robin over here?" Zoro asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. I glanced back at all of them and turned to them.

"I am immortal." I stated bluntly. Nami's eye twitched slightly and Zoro grunted.

"Do you really expect us to believe that you can't die?" Sanji laughed, eating another piece of his food. Luffy noticed their coldness towards me, but I paid him no mind.

"Oh,I _can _die, but I am immortal." I grinned, glancing back at the sea. The skeleton let out a gasp.

"So that's why...!" he muttered. The reindeer and the long nose guy glanced at him.

"What are you saying, Brook?" Ussop asked. Brook stared at me for a few seconds, and looked down at my feet.

"Whenever I look at regular people, my soul can usually hear their souls. It's a power of my devil fruit. When I look at all of you guys, I can usually hear a sound coming from it. The only man who has ever interested me is Luffy. His soul's sound is like a song. However, when I look at you, Neel-san, I hear...two...no three sounds... Do you have...?" Brook explained, gesturing with his hands. I smirked and gave him a thumbs up.

"Correct! I have three souls, all swirling around in my body."

The cyborg burst out laughing.

"Luffy, is he seriously immortal? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Yeah, it's true. Even I was a little shocked when I first learned about it." Luffy smiled. Chopper gawked in amazement and smiled at me.

"That's pretty amazing, Neel! So were you on the pirate king's ship with Rayleigh?Is it true?" He asked, wagging left and right very...cutely. I laughed and glanced at all of them.

"Since you all are so confused about who I am, I guess I'll just tell you from the start..." I said, rubbing my hands together. They all turned towards me.

* * *

Sanji breathed out smoke from his cigarette.

" That's... Some story..."

" Ye-Yeah..." Nami mumbled, staring at the ground.

I didn't tell them about Olvia, but I did tell them about the void century. Nico Robin seemed to shuffle a bit in her spot at the mention of it.

_You see, they don't trust you. Come on, fall into insanity. Everything is better..._

"NO!" I yelled, punching myself across the face. The crew stared at me even more strangely. I was sure they thought I was troubled now. I sat on the ground.

"Being Immortal... it's not free you know..." I mumbled sadly. Luffy frowned again.

"What do you mean?" He asked, sitting next to me. The whole got up and sat near me.

" I... I have schizophrenia and ADHD. Or at least that's what Crocus calls it... It happens inexplicably... I really hope...you all accomplish your dreams...but...I can't help but feel selfish... I can't dream... I can't live...I'll never grow up and grow old and die like everyone else... I guess I'll explain what the consequences are...so you guys won't have to worry if I happen to say something stupid ..." I explained, standing up. They listened intently.

"I have three sides of me. There's this good side of me, the... how shall I put it... the old side of me you probably will see and the last one... the last one you will never have to worry about, and I made sure of it." I explained, walking around them. I silently pointed to my hidden eye and Luffy shielded his eyes.

" In any case, can I have some food? I'm hungry!" I smiled, sitting down. I took a bunch of meat and shoved it into my mouth. It tasted really good, despite being in Luffy's bag. Little by little the crew began to accept me, and I was reminded off my old crew for just a second. When we were done eating, Chopper asked me a question.

"Hey, Neel?"

" Yes, Chopper?" I noticed my voice had gotten deeper, and I was probably going to switch personalities any second.

" What's your dream?" The cute reindeer asked, sitting on a barrel. I looked towards the sea.

" My dream... I've never really thought of one... I guess my dream is to be normal... No powers...No immortality...Nothing. I just want to die. But is that so wrong? Why can't I die in peace?" I mumbled, drumming my fingers over the railing. Chopper frowned for a second and then looked up at me.

" Well, I am a doctor. Once I find the cure for all diseases, I'll help you!"

" Thanks, Chopper!"

Robin suddenly gasped.

" I just remembered something important! One second, Knight-san." She said. She crossed her arms, and a path of hands opened the door to her room. After a few seconds, a book flew into her hands from one of the hands.

" This." She smiled, handing it to me. I looked down at the cover and grinned widely. The title was "Tales of the Dark Knight". It was black and very old-looking. The title was enhanced to look better. It was bound by a lock and key, but it was open. The crew "ohhhed" at me.

" You read my book? Oh my god, that's so embarrassing!" I exclaimed, a fierce blush enveloping my cheeks. The crew snickered at me and I rubbed the back of my head.

" Come on! Recite one of the quotes for us! Come on!" Ussop teased, looking vey mischievous.

" Neel-san! Come on!" Brook chided on. Franky laughed a bit.

" My god, NO! Come on guys, I only wrote this because I was bored traveling alone on the Knightmare! It's not even that good!" I reasoned, trying to get away from it. Ussop stopped cheering for a second.

" Nightmare? What?" Ussop asked. I smiled inwardly.

" My personal ship. The Knightmare. It's with a K." I explained, diverging away from the topic off my book.

" So that motorcycle you were on... That's the Knightmare? You mean it has two forms? But how?" Franky asked me.

" It's a one of the god weapons of Ultima. Rayleigh made me remember the blueprint for it, so I could use it whenever I wanted to. Pretty cool, huh?" I smiled. Robin chuckled lightly and smiled mischievously, cupping her cheek with her hand.

" So now that you've attempted to get away from reading the book, can you please read it?" She teased, breaking my heart in half. The crew laughed out loud. I scowled fiercely at her. Another image of Olvia replaced her body, jut for a second. My expression softened.

" Oh come on! You only have to do one of them!" Nami chided on.

" Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!" The whole crew cheered me on. Zoro smirked and handed me some sake. I drank some so I could get into the mood.

" Ok, fine. One page! That's it! And I get to choose!" I demanded, opening the black book. I slapped myself on the head and grinned widely.I had almost forgotten that I had gotten the original from Crocous! I reached inside my robe and pulled out a black book.

" Why don't we read from the original one?" I suggested, putting the copy to the side and flipping my old journal open. The crew looked excited as they awaited my speech. Robin looked at the book with a fascination. My eyes darted across page after page until I saw the one I liked the most. I cleared my throat and began to read in a deep voice...

(Cue Lullaby of Resembool right here. It adds to the emotion! :D)

_I have crossed a paradise of blood_

_I have worn a warm blanket of scars_

_I have sung a chorus of rage_

_I have fought for justice in the name of sorrow_

_I have sworn my allegiance to one king_

_I have damned myself to the Overthere_

_I have walked one thousand miles_

_I have scorned one thousand foes_

_I have vowed with hollow words_

_I have seen the end of anything and the beginning of nothing_

_But at least I found my way to the stars..._

_I have climbed a staircase of knives_

_I have taken the path no one should follow_

_I have walked in the darkness and bathed in the light_

_I have fully accepted the shadows in order to find the light_

_I have trembled in fear_

_I have cried in anguish_

_So hear me King Roger!_

_LIVE ON AND TAKE UP YOUR SWORD!_

_But...I'll be behind you all the way..._

_And it seems that I..._

_Have lied my way to the stars..._

" Tales of the Dark Knight, Act 3." I finished, closing the book with one hand. I looked up into the eyes of the pensive crew mates. I got up and straightened my clothing.

"Forgive me, I have not formally introduced myself yet. So..." I bowed, abd reached into my robe pocket. I pulled out a wanted poster of me. It was a picture of my mask.

" My name is Raneus D Neel! I was the third mate of the King of the Pirates! For unknown reasons, I have been reborn in this world. I have spent the last 2 years spreading my name throughout the Grand Line. I'm sure one of you has heard of me and my adventures. I am experienced in the all fields of expertise, and I would like nothing more than to serve your captain, Monkey D Luffy!" I proclaimed, sowing everyone my bounty. Some of them smirked evilly. Others blanched. One of them chuckled.

" I go by many names in this world. The Philosopher of the stone, the Binding Sage, The Creator of Combat, The Master Pirate, and my most common name, The Dark Knight. I am now wanted alive, yes, only alive, for 200,000,000 million Beris! Forgive me if it is so low, for it used to be much, much higher. And as in much higher, I mean one billion beris higher! The reason I am only wanted alive is self-explanatory; if they kill me, I'll just be reborn again. So, it is an honor to join your crew, Straw Hat Luffy!" I saluted, grinning slightly.

Luffy nodded, and soon after the rest of the crew nodded too.

Smiling slightly, I got up and sat at the railing, closing my eyes. Luffy smiled and everyone dispersed with soft smiles on their faces. Robin gave me a backwards smirk, and walked away. My captain walked over to where I was and leaned against the railing next to me.

" So what do you think of my crew?" Luffy asked with a wide grin.I could feel everybody's ears on me, awaiting my answer. I yawned and turned away.

" I think you all are a bunch of idiots."

Everyone instantly face-planted into the ground.

" But that's ok..."

Everyone looked up at me in confusion. I laughed and gave them the most idiotic grin I could muster.

" Because I'm an idiot too!"

_...For ever falling in love with such a crew so fast..._

* * *

**So, everyone's probably wondering, why does. Neel have such a low bounty?**

**See, Neel is the Dark Knight from Roger's ship, but he's not. It's almost like cleaning your sins away. So basically, they aren't the same people. So the marines have to give him a new bounty. It's complicating, but it makes sense in my head.**

**In any case, Please, R&R!**


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